Pulling Strings
by Invader Miraza
Summary: A week before Freddy was aprehended, Katherine Krueger ran away from home. Within that time, Krueger was a little naughty. What does Patricia have to do with it?
1. One, Two

God, I'm bored....  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger, or any characters from the franchise.   
  
One, Two....   
  
Sometimes...  
  
I want my home again.  
  
I want that little white picket fence.  
  
I want my school and pink notebook.  
  
I want the short talks with that nice man.   
  
Sometimes...  
  
I even want my sister back.  
  
  
  
"PATRICIA!"  
  
" Coming, mother."   
  
"RIGHT NOW, GIRL!!"  
  
" Yes, mother." Patricia called up the stairs, carting a tray of coffee, 2 poached eggs, and a handful of various pills. Patrica Tate was 27 years old. She lived with her mother in a tiny un-named town somewhere outside Denton, Ohio. She's a very well mannered woman; quiet, obedient, never speaks unless spoken to. She wasn't beautiful or outstanding. She didn't like spicy foods or listen to much music. She didn't drive fast (to the contrary, she didn't drive at all). Her clothes were plain, her eyes were a dull brown, and her grey-lightbrown hair was matted and sloppily pulled into a bun every morning. No one really liked Patricia. She blended in well with a crowd and knew how to easily disappear. It's what she's been doing most of her life, anyway. She also took care of her mother, Belinda Tate. Because of her failing health (due to smoking, drinking, and a warped mentality from traumatic happenings from earlier in their lives), Patricia is forced to remain at home and baby her. Because of guilt over Belinda's taking care of her in childhood, Patrica begrudgingly stays and tends to her mother's every whim.   
  
Their past is not a happy one.  
  
Patrica is often haunted by guilt and sorrow over the loss of--  
  
"PATRICIA, WHERE ARE YOU?!!"  
  
Patricia walked into her mother's room and was instantly hit with the thick scent of cigar smoke. She made her way to her mother's bedside and put the tray on her lap.  
  
" Made me wait long enough..." her mother mumbled. From days in bed, she looked as if she had died. Dark circles, frizzy white-blonde dyed hair, the same dull brown eyes; Belinda wasn't a very pleasant woman to look at, let alone live with. Since their family had fallen apart, and Mr. Tate had passed away, Belinda took to the bottle and constantly passed her problems to her worthless daughter. That's what she called her. Patricia really didn't mean much to her. She was a festering whelp that she wouldn't--and couldn't-- get rid of. She'd been a pain in her side since the year they left Springwood...since her sister--   
  
  
Belinda took another drag on her cigar. Within seconds, she was coughing and hacking. Patricia walked to the doorway, knowing enough to get out of range of her mother before saying anything.   
  
" You're not supposed to inhale cigars, mother."   
  
A plate from yesterday's dinner flew at her head, and she ducked. It smashed into the wall.  
  
" Don't you talk back at me, you little bitch!! You have anything else to say?!"  
  
She silently shook her head.  
  
" GOOD. Now, go get my newspaper. NOW." Belinda popped pills into her mouth like candy. Patricia nodded and headed downstairs. The scent of the cigars lingered on her clothes and in her hair.  
  
Oh God...  
  
That smell. It was so distant...  
  
She could remember when she was young. A beautiful two story house. She remembered that house. The warm memory of a house with someone that almost cared about her. What was the street...?   
  
Patricia walked outside and scooped the newspaper off the porch. The children from the street over were playing in the neighbor's yard again. She felt herself smiling as she watched the Kenrdall's two boys and the McRathan girl run around the street. So innocent...The McRathen girl fell. She skidded her knee. She was crying. In minutes, her mother was by her side, consoling her, kissing her wounds, fawning, fawning...Patricia felt like crying. Mother didn't do that...someone did though.  
  
There it is.  
  
Elm Street. How could she forget? Yes. 1428 Elm Street.   
  
  
~~~  
  
"Mommy? Is anyone picking me up from school today?"  
  
There was a loud sigh on the other end of the line.   
  
"You stupid girl, No. It's your sister's big soccer game today, and your father and I can't miss it because of you. You're 4, almost 5 years old now. You can walk home. There's supper in the pantry; We'll be going out for pizza after. We might be home by 5:30." Click. She was used to Mother not saying goodbye.  
  
Of course. How could she forget? Stephanie's big game was today. Heading down the sidewalk away from her school, she mentally kicked herself for calling Mother. Now she might be punished when they come home. She turned onto the next street. It was Febuary. The snow had melted early, leaving the bitter aftertaste of freezing winds. It was worse today, mostly because Stephanie hadn't given her warmer clothes to wear this year: A knee-length blue skirt, a quarterlength-sleeved burgandy shirt, a light gray colored sweater, and sockless black shoes. Mother had promised to take her shopping on saturday, but she didn't. Stephanie needed a new soccer uniform for the big game, so Mother couldn't have taken her AND her sister the same day. It's all right, though. Home isn't too far away.   
  
She turned onto Elm Street.  
  
" Hey look!! It's Cow-Patty!!" a shrill voice yelled behind her. A group of kids from her grade had followed her again today. She hunched her shoulders and pressed her pink binder to her chest. Travis Redland had called her "cow-patty" and stuck his wad of cherry Bubblelicious chewing gum to the ends of her pigtails three days ago. Mother was furious. Instead of just cutting off the gum, she cut off four inches of her hair. She walked faster, but she could hear the other kids getting closer, chanting, "Cow-Patty, Cow-Patty, Cow-Patty!!"   
  
They were just so loud!  
  
She ran, going as fast as she could, desperate to get to the end of the street. She could hear them catching up with her, laughing and screaming. She ran blindly down the sidewalk as tears welled in her eyes.  
  
Almost there.  
  
The houses blurred, and soon, she could hardly make out anything.  
  
Almost there...  
  
Four-year-old Patricia Tate hurdled forward onto the sidewalk and skidded her knees and hands on the paved walkway of a very large house. She had tripped on an un-even slab of cement. There was a hot pain in her legs and arms as she pushed herself up into a sitting postion. The other children gathered around her, and laughed at her fall. She watched as they kicked dirt at her, taunted her, and kicked her binder around in sport. They tossed it around and spilled her school work all over the grass and pavement. Satisfied, they left her there, shaking and hurt on the cold ground. Patricia started to gather her papers.  
  
" OW!!"  
  
A sharp pain in her hand caused her to drop her now bloodied binder. Wimpering, she stared at her bleeding palms and knees. She sat there, and watched half of her school work blow away in the wind. It was getting colder. She sat there. Alone. Mother hadn't come to pick her up. She and Father were at Stephanie's game. They didn't know she had been teased by the kids at school again. They didn't know she had fallen. They didn't know she was freezing, alone, and bleeding on the concrete. They didn't know. They didn't care. She knew it. Patricia had been used to this by now, but for some reason, she started crying. Maybe it was just because of the cuts on her hands. Maybe it was sheer embarrassment. Maybe it was because she knew no one cared. It wasn't anything so shocking, but it was true. No one cared about poor little Patricia Tate. Just Stephanie...  
  
She was suddenly shadowed by someone behind her. Patricia turned and stared up at him.   
  
" Do you need any help, sweetheart? Look like you had quite a spill there." he said, and extended his hand.   
  
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Read and Review, please! What do you think of Patricia?   



	2. Freddy's Coming for You

  
  
  
Chap. 2 Freddy's comming for you...  
  
  
Patricia stood with the help of this seemingly concerned man before her. He was tall, skinny, and almost intimidating. His smile was warm and inviting, but his eyes held something dark...almost crooked. He crouched down and met her crying eyes.   
  
" My name is Mr. Krueger. Who might you be?" he said, picking up her binder.   
  
" Patricia." she eyed her binder and the placement of his hands. There was something about that smile that made her hair stand on end.  
  
" What a pretty name. Where do you live, Patricia?" she shifted uneasily. Father used to tell Stephanie not to tell people she didn't know where she lived. Still, lieing is a bad bad thing.  
  
" A street over from here."   
  
" I live right here." he handed her the binder and gestured his house. Patricia took one look, nodded, and turned away. She murmered a "thank you", and began to limp away. The papers didn't matter. She needed to get home on time. The pain in her knees doubled with every step, and her hands still dripped blood. Did she really fall that hard? The man--no, Mr. Krueger, placed a hand on her shoulder, making her stop. She turned in confusion.  
  
" That's alot of blood, Patricia. Can I have a look?" he said, taking her right hand. It was bleeding more than her left. He ran his thumb over the scrapes, wiping away blood and dirt. When he came to a bloody lump on the heel of her palm, she hissed in pain and attempted to jerk her hand back.   
  
" Well now..." he said, inspecting her hand closer. " You did have quite a fall." There, wedged in her hand, was a thick piece of glass. She hadn't even noticed in her rush to get away.   
  
" We should take care of that, shouldn't we, Patricia?" Patricia didn't respond.  
  
She stared at the glass in her hand like a deer in headlights.  
  
" Come on inside, and I'll get you all fixed up." He led her by the wrist to his front door. Whether it was from the almost unbearable pain in her palm or the fact that someone cared enough to help her, Patricia willingly followed Mr. Krueger inside.   
  
Mr. Krueger ushered Patricia into the living room, and she was instantly hit with the smell of cigars. He left into the kitchen. She surveyed his house, mapping out all the doors, hallways, and the single flight of stairs. The living room had a couch, coffee table, a desk, and a tall grandfather clock. There was also a doorway under the stairs. Must be to the basement. Mr. Krueger came back with a towel. He smiled that creepy smile, held her hand, and took hold of the glass.   
  
" I have to pull this out now, Patricia. This is going to hurt very much."   
  
Patricia nodded uncertainly. How much could it--?  
  
Freddy yanked the glass shard from Patricia's hand and was rewarded with a high-pitched scream. She cradled her bleeding hand and failed to notice his satisfied smile. Well, one thing has already gone right. She was in the house. Ah, little girls. So trusting...so delicious. He carelessly tossed the glass onto the coffee table next to her pink binder, and waited until she stopped her sniveling. She really must not have expected it to hurt that much. She was taller than his last one. Lighter hair too...almost like--  
  
She looked at him in half anger and half relief. He still needed to win her trust before carting her off to the boiler room...Freddy forced small grin and took her hand back. As he cleaned her palm, she was very quiet. She chewed on her nails and kept a watchful eye on his hands. Five? Six, maybe? She was cute, but a sickly little thing. And thin. Her eyes were deep, too. Almost like Loretta's...Loretta...He frowned. Yes, little Patricia would look better without them, considering how well blood blended with her skin. Shame to wipe it off. Her skin wasn't brown, or horribly pale. It was a little yellow and unhealthy. Katherine had nicer skin. She was perfect...  
  
Katherine...  
  
She's been gone for two days now. Had she run away? Did someone come and take her? Where is she?...Katherine...Kather--  
  
Fuck.  
  
The silence made him think too much.   
  
  
" Do you know why those kids were chasing you, Patricia?" he asked, wrapping her hand. Just a little longer...  
  
" No, Sir. They're kids from school." she murmered, finally calm.   
  
" I see. Are they cruel to you?"  
  
" Not really...they just call me names." And kick dirt in her face, and throw things at her in class, and chase her on the way home. Sometimes, she wished that she could really just dissapear--  
  
The grandfather clock tolled loudly, and Patricia's head snaped toward the sound. Her faced suddenly lost half it's color.   
  
Oh no...  
  
" It's...it's 5. Mother and Father will be home soon!!" Patricia jumped to her feet and snatched her binder off the coffee table. "Mother's going to be so angry with me--" She ran for the front of the house. How could she be so careless? An hour and a half, and she didn't notice?? Mr. Krueger was at her heels.   
  
No way in hell she was getting away. Not after he was so close...  
  
She pulled open the screen door, ready to sprint home, when Mr. Krueger, Freddy, grabbed her upper arm.  
  
" Please, I have to go!"  
  
" What's the hurry, Patricia? You can stay awhile--"  
  
" NO!" she turned to him, face stricken with terror. Something horrified this child so deeply, she was trembling from ankles to eyelashes. Often, he'd see this look on his children, and be filled with gratification, excitement. What was wrong with this picture? Suddenly, it dawned on him. She didn't fear HIM. She feared something else, and that pissed him off. Who fuck could govern more fear than the Springwood Slasher?! Who?!  
  
" Mother will be very very mad at me." her voice shook with every word. " You don't understand. She'll--" She stopped short and hung her head. Mother said be quiet. Be quiet, and she won't be punished worse. That's right..." I need to get home, Sir. Please. Mommy and Daddy are going to be so angry...Please Mr. Krueger!!" She stared up at him, teary-eyed and frightened.   
  
He couldn't kill her. Not this child. Not yet. Not when he can't receive all the fear she has. That lied with her parents. Fuckers...they don't know who they're dealing with. No matter. He could wait. He'll have her soon enough...  
  
Freddy relented her arm and she staggered onto the walkway. Patricia stared at him for a moment, clutching her binder to her chest.   
  
" Thank you, Mr. Krueger...thank you."   
  
He grinned. Little bitch.   
  
" Hope to see you again, Patricia. Real soon, I hope."   
  
Patricia took off down the sidewalk, a new spark of hope in the pit of her stomach. Someone cared about her. Someone took her in. Though, a little creepy...really creepy...he was still someone. She smiled. Patricia was looking forward to seeing Mr. Krueger again very soon.   
  
  
~~~~~~  
  
After looking in on Mother later that morning, and making sure she was indeed asleep, Patricia walked to her bedroom, shut the door, and picked up the phone. She dialed a number and and pulled a large box from under her bed. Someone picked up.  
  
" Hello?"  
  
" Hi, Sara."  
  
" Trish! I can't believe you're calling! What's up?"  
  
" Mother's asleep. Can you come over?"   
  
" Yeah, sure, Trish. Anything wrong? You don't sound so good."  
  
Patricia cradled the phone on her shoulder and opened the box.  
  
" I'm fine, Sara. Just a little...upset."  
  
" Upset? Over what? Was it your mother?"  
  
" No..." she sifted through newspapers, growing dimmer and dimmer with every headline.   
  
" Well, then, what is it?"  
  
" Remember when I told you about when we used to live in Springwood?"  
  
" Yeah, what about--...Oh..it's..that time, huh?"  
  
" Yes..." One front page laid in her lap. Her fingers traced bold words and the small outline of the picture below it.   
  
SPRINGWOOD SLASHER BURNED ALIVE  
  
" Anything I can do, Trish?"   
  
" I just...don't want to be alone today."   
  
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Read and Review please! Mm...candy.   
  
  
  



	3. Three, Four

This'll probably be a long one...  
  
  
Chapter 3: Three, Four...  
  
There was a knock at the window. Patricia laid down her newspapers and let Sara in.   
  
" Hey, Trish. You look awful." Sara Glade hopped through the window, and greeted Patricia with a hug. She was younger, barely 20. She had short blonde hair, a sunny disposition, and was Patricia's best and only friend. She sat on the bed and looked at the newspapers. Patricia sat next to her. Sara was moving to Springwood to attend college in about 2 days. Since the moment she told Patricia, she's been trying to convince her to go. Patricia declined every time. She needs to take care of Mother.   
  
" Stephanie's been dead...for about 23 years or so. Father; 18 or 19 I think." Patricia idly looked through every newspaper. Sara glanced at one or two headlines.  
  
" Man...how you holding up?"   
  
" I'm fine...Mother is another story."  
  
" You're really worried about her?" Sara picked up the one that had been in Patricia's lap. " Freaky guy...good thing they nailed him, huh?"  
  
" Yeah...thank you for comming over, Sara. Misery likes company."   
  
" Hey, no problem. By the way, I've almost finished packing. Just a few more boxes...have you thought about reconsidering?"  
  
" I can't. Mother needs me. "   
  
" Patricia, you're 27! She's gotta let go of you, and you need to get away from her. That woman is a frickin' psycho."  
  
" Sara, she needs me. She's taken care of me my whole life, and now I have to take care of her."   
  
Sara roughly pulled Patricia to her and lifted her hair away from her forehead, revealing an S-shaped scar on her temple.  
  
" Is THAT taking care of you??"   
  
Patricia yanked herself away.   
  
" Look...Trish, I know it's hard, and it's not fair to ask you today of all days, but please...you're a woman, not a little girl. You can stay with me. Wouldn't that be better than here?"  
  
Hadn't someone else asked her that question?...  
  
" PATRICIA!!!"  
  
Both Sara and Patricia jumped out of their skin. Sara headed for the window, but footsteps echoed down the hall. No time. Patricia grabbed Sara and forced her into the closet.   
  
" Stay here, and be quiet. Sneak out after we're gone."   
  
" I can't leave you alone, Trish--"   
  
"Patricia!!" Mother was nearly right outside the door. Patricia pushed the door half closed, ran to the bed, stuffed the newspapers into their box, and tucked it under the bed. The door opened, and their stood Belinda looking quite livid.  
  
" Make me walk all the way over here. Stupid little bitch. Come with me. Now."   
  
" Yes, Mother." with a fleeting look at the closet, Patricia silently followed her mother out. Sara made sure they were gone, and opened the door a little wider.  
  
Why did she need to hide the newspapers?  
  
~~~~~  
  
After much debating with herself, and the fact Father had gone home with Stephanie, and left her at school, Patricia decided to make a second visit to Mr. Krueger's home. A short one wouldn't hurt. She'd make sure to watch the time today. Two days before, when Patricia got home late from her first encounter with Mr. Krueger, Mother and Father were in the living room with one of Stephanie's friends. She easily slipped in the back door, and dissapeared up the kitchen stairs. They didn't notice. Really, she would have been in the clear if she hadn't gone back down stairs. Apparently, Mother likes to think up excuses to punish Patricia. She said that she hadn't taken out the trash. It wasn't her turn, Patricia said. It was Stephanie's. In response, she received a book in the face, resulting in a bad nosebleed. How dare she talk back to her Mother AND blame Stephanie for her mistake? The day after, Stephanie's room wasn't clean. Mother smashed her head with a plate. Yesterday, she talked back to Daddy about feeding the fish. He locked her in her room without supper. So, obviously, Patricia wasn't too happy to be going home. Stopping in with Mr. Krueger sounded nice. A quick "hello" and "thank you" wouldn't hurt, would it? She turned onto Elm Street. Maybe Mr. Krueger's not home? It had been two days. Would he be angry because she bothered him again? She can't stay long today. Mother will be home early. Oh, how she wanted to stay longer. As far from home as she could go. Mommy and Daddy wouldn't care. Mr. Krueger did. Didn't he? No one's ever done anything for her before. 1428. She was met with a smile.   
  
" Hello, Patricia. Doing better today?"   
  
Maybe she could stay a little longer.   
  
" I'm fine, Sir. Thank you."  
  
  
***5:45 pm**  
  
Patricia opened the backdoor and listened for her parent's voices. Nothing. She closed it and padded softly up the back stairs. Her visit with Mr. Krueger lasted a alot longer than she intended. He wouldn't stop asking about Mother and Stephanie...  
  
" Patricia?" a small voice came from behind her. She whirled around and was face to face with Stephanie. " Where have you been? Mama is really mad. Where's your binder?"  
  
Oh no. She left it at Mr. Krueger's house.   
  
" I left it...at school. Where is she?"  
  
" In your room, waiting for you. You're in big trouble, Patricia." Stephanie turned on her heel and bounded to her room. Patricia turned and looked at her doorway. The light was on inside, and she could hear Mother and Father talking softly to one another. She held her breath and opened the door.  
  
" Patricia?! Get in here. Right now." Mother yanked her into the room. Father left and shut the door. Mother stood before her, hands on hips, very very angry.   
  
" Where have you been? Off with your friends having a good time? Huh? I thought you were home when I got here, so I left Stephanie with you, but you weren't were you? You were off doing God knows what, with your sister here home alone. Do you want bad things to happen to your sister? Do you?!" Mother advanced on Patricia until she was flat against a wall.   
  
" No, mother, no!"   
  
" You've been a very bad girl, Patricia. A very very bad girl."   
  
" Mommy, please, I'm sorry!"  
  
" You'd better be sorry, Patricia. You need to be taught a lesson. You have to be punished. If you're a bad girl, you have to be punished." Mother grabbed her wrist, pulled Patricia out of her room,dragged her down stairs and into the kitchen. She threw her into the counter and opened the china cabinet.  
  
" Who were you with, Patricia?"  
  
" No one." she received a blow of a coffee mug to the head.  
  
" DON'T LIE TO ME!! Who were you with?!" Mother stood over her, jabbing the mug in her direction.   
  
" A friend from school." Patricia sobbed, holding her head.   
  
" You won't be seeing that friend anymore, will you, Patricia?"   
  
"...He's nice to me, Mommy, and I promised I'd be back tomorr--" She was struck again.  
  
" WILL YOU?!!"  
  
" No, Mother, no!!" she held her head again.   
  
" You'll never leave your sister alone again, will you?"  
  
" No." She was hit twice.  
  
" No, what?!"  
  
" No, Mother!!"  
  
" You've been a bad girl, right, Patricia? You've been taught your lesson?!" she hit her once last time and the mug broke on the side of her head.  
  
"...Yes, mother. I'm a bad girl. I've learned. I'm sorry."   
  
" Good. Now, clean this up." Mother dropped the handle to the mug and left Patricia there on the floor of the kitchen. She felt the side of her face, and her hand came back dripping with blood. No one was here to help this time...no one cared. Thunder clapped outside. She needed to get away. Away from Mommy, away from Stephanie, away from home. Away, away...far away...Where..? He'll help her. He'll help. Determination set in her eyes, Patricia pulled herself up and to the back door. Elm Street. She needed to get to Elm Street...  
  
  
***  
  
Freddy pulled the keys out of the ignition and leaned into his car seat. He felt much...much better. Lets see...Toby Frinks, AND Ruthie Bedled. 1417, and 1425. Toby wasn't too hard...a few candy bars, and the little piggie came running home. Ruthie was an easy grab and go. Pigtails, little blue summer dress, green eyes...eight years old...slim, innocent, high shrill voice. Like music. Her screams echoed in his mind, and felt calm again. Fear. There it was. His mind wandered to little Patricia Tate...He wished he could have gotten farther with the little pip. No matter how hard he pushed, she still wouldn't tell why she was so afraid of her Mother. He'd never been in contact with a live child this long before...excluding his daughter. Back in the boiler room with Ruthie, he made a decision: Fear, or no fear, Sweet Patricia was going to be taken tomorrow. He left his car and headed to the front door. Rain was pretty heavy now. Hopefully Katherine wasn't stuck in it somewhere...Out of the rain. Dry. Safe. He unlocked the screen door and front door and headed in. Fucking rain. He slipped off his coat and shook it out. His striped sweater was soaked through, his pants were sticking to his legs. All from walking from the car to the front door. Jesus. He dug into one of the pockets of his coat and retrieved his precious blades. Out of his collection, these were his favorites. He looked at them for a moment, and they gleamed and smiled up at him. His firsts. His friends. Companions. Freddy broke himself out of his trance and headed down to the basement. He placed them on the table in his special room, and took a damp picture of Ruthie from his pocket. Fucking rain. He took a piece of scotch tape and attatched it to the brick wall next to Toby. Relaxing in his chair, he admired his wall of children. His children. Every single one...his eyes fell on a picture of Katherine. She was his blood. Loretta's blood. His daughter. His heir. Why had she run away?...If that whore Loretta hadn't gone snooping, Katherine would still be here. He would have gotten to keep her...his finger trailed down Katherine's cheek. He frowned. Katherine...Come back.   
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Who the hell could be here so late? Freddy locked the door to his room and headed up the stairs. He looked through the screen door and saw the shivering figure of a little girl...Could it...Katherine? He walked to the screen door and opened it. He was met with the top of Patricia's head. She was staring at her feet, shaking from head to toe.   
  
" Patricia?"   
  
"...I-I-I'm sorry, M-Mr. Krueger...I didn't.." She was drenched, shivering, and crying.   
  
How sweet. Poor Little Patricia Tate. Mommy kick you out? He reached out and tipped her chin up, making her look at him. She looks even more savorable when wet. She sniffed and blinked, tears mixing with rain and blood--...Blood? He moved her hair away from her face and the side of her head, and watched as streams of water/blood flowed down her cheek and onto her pale blue shirt. Graceful little twit probably fell on the way over.  
  
" What'd you--"  
  
" Mother...punished me. I was very bad. I didn't get home on time." Mr. Krueger crouched down in front of her. Ah...the connection. She stared at him. " Mother always punishes me...I..I had to be taught a lesson...am I really a bad girl?"   
  
He frowned at her. All children were bad. It's their parents fault. Their stupidity and malice from their childhood released on himself created what is happening to their children. It's their fault. This crying child was proof of that. The basement room was proof of that. But one of them had hurt their own child? Their own blood? A part of themselves? Now, of course, Freddy had a right to take their children. You steal my life, I steal yours. A well leveled motto.They made his life shit, therefore, he takes away their children. Their lives. The part that hurts them the most. Being tortured your entire childhood can result in revenge, can't it?! Now, what about them? The ones that CREATED him? Did they have a right? Fuck no. Those self-obsorbed asswipes made their lives better by fucking him over for the last 30 years. Does her -Mommy- have a right to destroy what she had a hand in creating for self satisfaction? Did she need release? Did SHE have a fucked-over childhood, go completely frickin' crazy, kill her spouse, and have the only thing she ever wanted run away? No. Fucking whore. She doesn't have a goddamned right to 'punish' Patricia. To punish one of HIS children. To make her afraid...  
  
" No, Patricia. You aren't bad." Your Mother needs to learn a lesson...she needs to be punished. You on the other hand...well, you'll know what it's like to really be afraid. He smiled and noticed she had stopped crying." Would you like to come inside? Let me have a look at that?"   
  
Patricia looked at Mr. Krueger in astonishment. She wasn't a bad girl. He said so. She wasn't a bad girl...Mommy was wrong. Mr. Krueger wouldn't lie...  
  
"..Thank you." She threw her arms around his neck and cried his name into his shoulder. She was safe...safe...away..safe..  
  
Freddy hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. What else could he do? It wouldn't matter...he can wait. Just a little longer, he could wait...he smiled that crooked smile. Maybe afterward he could treat himself to her perfect sister Stephanie...But right now, he'd focus on Patricia. Sweet trusting Patricia. She would be one of his children...very very soon...  
  
  
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Mwahaha! Read and Review please!   
  
  



	4. Better Lock Your Door

This one will probably be longer.   
  
  
Chapter 4: Better Lock your Door...  
  
  
Patricia took at seat on the couch and noted her pink binder still on the coffee table. The room still looked the same, and it still smelled like cigars. It was still better than home. Mr. Krueger left into the kitchen. She noticed a photograph on the coffee table. It was of Mr. Krueger, a woman with short blonde hair, and a girl about her age with longer light brown hair with red ribbons. Mr. Krueger returned with a terry-cloth towel and hand rag.   
  
" Who are they, Mr. Krueger? Your Family?" Patricia asked, pointing at the picture.   
  
Freddy scowled and tipped the frame over. Why yes, sweetie. That's my wife Loretta. I broke her windpipe and burried her in the back yard. That's my little girl Katherine that ran away 6 days ago. Anymore questions? Every second, he wanted to kill this child more and more. Somehow, she wasn't only not afraid of him, but she reminded him of how alone he really was...No. No, not alone. He had his children to keep him company. She'd be one of them soon...He handed her the towel. She dried her face.   
  
" The lady looked nice." she said.   
  
Hah.  
  
" My Mommy and sister have hair like hers. I have my Daddy's brown hair." Patricia scooted forward and pointed at a Polorid in her binder of a man, woman, and another little girl standing next to Patricia. " That's Stephanie. My sister."   
  
Well, hello sunshine.  
  
" Does your Mother punish her when she does something wrong?" he looked at Stephanie closer. How sweet. Ringlets and blue eyes.   
  
" No! No, Stephanie never does anything wrong, never ever." Patricia violently shook her head. "Stephanie is a good girl. Stephanie never does anything wrong."   
  
He should have guessed it. Mommy plays favorites. Freddy examined the faces of her mother and father. That's fan-fucking-tastic. A mid-wife, and some asshole in a suit and tie. The clone of every perfect family in Springwood...disgusting. He moved closer to Patricia and studied the look on her face. It was almost blank. He brushed her hair aside for a better look at the gash on her temple, and she flinched as if he had burned her. Ah, a jumpy one...He moved closer, and Patricia stared at him from the side. Freddy moved back her hair again and started to wipe the blood away with the hand rag. Like before, she was very quiet. He breathed onto her cheek, and he could sense her shiver. She swallowed and exhailed softly. He smelled the dampness in her hair, and trailed her upper arm with one hand. She was tense. THERE it is. Fear. He had it. She was his now.   
  
A familiar donging sound caught their attention. For a moment, Patricia looked bewildered.  
  
"...The grandfather clock. You moved it."  
  
Freddy grumbled. No shit.  
  
" I moved it into the study after you left today."   
  
"..Oh." She became silent again. He wiped away the blood on her cheek and shoulder. So sloppy...obviously, Mother had to real gift for this. He then examined the cut in her temple. Mommy bashed her head in.   
  
Charming.   
  
Patricia stared at her hands as Mr. Krueger cleaned her wound. She hadn't cleaned the mess in the kitchen. When she went home, what would Mommy say? What would she do? She should have cleaned it before leaving. She shouldn't have left. This really wasn't a good idea...Maybe if she went home right now, Mommy wouldn't have noticed she was gone. Stephanie couldn't have had time to tell on her yet, could she? Oh, what if she found out that she told Mr. Krueger about what Mommy did? Patricia stood, grabbed her binder, and turned to Mr. Krueger.   
  
" I need to go before Mommy knows I'm gone."   
  
He leered at her from the couch like a predator and it's prey. She wasn't leaving. Not now.   
  
" I don't think so, Patricia."  
  
" Mr. Krueger, I have to. Mommy will punish me again-- "  
  
Her Goddamned Mother again. He took her by the shoulders and shook her once.  
  
" Your Mother shouldn't scare you, Patricia!" he growled.  
  
" Mr. Krueger--!" Please don't punish me, please don't punish me, please...  
  
He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.   
  
" You don't know what fear is, Patricia. You want me to show you?!" He pulled her face inches from his. She shut her eyes and tried to push him away.  
  
" Don't punish me, Mr. Krueger!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" After many futile attempts, Patricia stopped her pushing and just cried. She dropped her binder and let her head lean on his shoulder.  
  
The fuck-- not again...  
  
" Help me, please, Mr. Krueger. I don't want to go home. I'm sorry..."   
  
What the hell was she doing? Why is she talking? She's supposed to be screaming, begging for him to stop, not asking for his help. He let go of her shoulders, not sure of what to do. He still had the urge to kill her, hear her tiny little screams echo off the rusted pipes of his boiler room...satisfaction...excitment...But why couldn't he touch her?! Atleast, not in the way he had become accustomed. Fuck, why won't she stop crying? Bitch...Why did he care? He watched himself wrap his arm around her and pat her back. This always made Katherine stop crying...Patricia looked up at him then. She wiped her eyes and sniffed.   
  
" Are you going to punish me?"  
  
"...No. Sit down, Patricia."   
  
She obeyed and sat next to him again. The next few moments were spent in silence... Freddy stretched his arm over the back of the couch. Ok, she hadn't left. She's still here. Completely under his control. Why in God's name hadn't he done something about it?! The mini-whore was really starting to tick him off...maybe if he cut her eyes out like he planned to, she'd be more tolerable. Yes, that sounded like a very good idea--  
  
Patricia's head rested on the top of his chest. She had scooted over during his train of thought and had apparently made herself comfortable. How long had he been thinking? Was she still awake? He craned his head and looked at her face. Patricia's little eyes were closed. Sleeping.   
  
Well...  
  
  
Shit.   
  
  
Freddy sat there for who knows how long, listening to the rain and thunder. This is just great. A battered little girl is taking refuge in the home of a serial child murder at, what, 7:00 at night? He'd know, but he just had to move the grandfather clock into the study earlier that day. That's another thing: She keeps pointing out the obvious. Fucking child naivety... Katherine didn't do that, but the questions she'd ask...God... "Why is the sky blue?" "Why do the birds cheep so loud?" " Why do we dream?" Jee-sus! Ask a different question, like, " Why isn't murder legal?" " Why was Mommy so fucking stupid?" " Why were you screwed over for most of the jobs you applied to and eventually landed a job at a power plant in some dank boiler room for hours on the weekeneds?" Why? There's one really good answer to all of those questions. Because people are vermin. Atleast, every person in Springwood is. He carefully uncrossed his leg so as to not disturb Patricia. Patricia...Why wasn't she dead yet? She was like a cold. You couldn't get rid of her if you tried...or even wanted to. Did he want to kill Patricia? Now, there's a picture. Being murdered by the only person you've ever trusted. And so young. How...appropriate. Especially after what Mommy Dearest does to her. Wait...her Mother. Now, Freddy would be hurting her if he took Patricia, wouldn't he?...No. If she was fucked up enough to punish her own daughter like this, it wouldn't do shit to her. Hell, she'd probably rejoice. Well, this is a bitch. After going through all this with Patricia, it really didn't amount to anything. Patricia meant nothing to her parents, therefore, he couldn't hurt them through her. Well, he still has to get something out of this. Maybe he'd just kill the Mother? Pass. Loretta was enough to not make him want to kill another woman in this lifetime. Take Patricia for his own advantage maybe?...He looked at Patricia's sleeping form again. Bah...It was an option. It still wouldn't do anything to those turds that she has for parents...Patricia shifted and moved closer to him. Water dripped from her little black shoes and splashed on her pink binder laying on the floor. Freddy leaned over and gazed down at the smiling faces of Patricia's not-so-happy family. Perfect clones of eachother...especially that other girl. What was her name again? Stacy? No..Stephanie. Spitting image of her bitch Mother--  
  
Stephanie.   
  
--" Stephanie is a good girl. Stephanie never does anything wrong."--  
  
There was her weak spot. Patricia didn't mean dick to her, but obviously Stephanie was her pride and joy. And was a delicious little piggie she is, too...he looked down at Patricia again. What is he going to do with her, now? With Stephanie gone, it's not likely she'll be any better off. Her 'punishments' would probably get worse...Well, he couldn't have that. She was one of his children after all...  
  
How would he benifit from killing her? A total rush...but nothing for his sick righteous logic. Contentment would be half-assed, and her parents would probably be happy about it. Not so good.   
  
How would he benifit from not killing her?...Good question.Why was she here in the first place, anyway? She was lured in the first two times, yeah, but...why was she here now? What the hell does she want?  
  
She shifted again. He heard her yawn, and saw her hand lift to rub her eyes. She was awake now. She looked up at Mr. Krueger with a tired expression.   
  
"...Why are you here, Patricia?" he asked. Patricia thought for a moment. Why?...Mommy wasn't going to let her come back...she smiled.  
  
" I promised I would come back. You have to keep a promise." She laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. " I knew you'd keep me safe."   
  
Because she promised she'd come back. She left, and promised she'd be back. He'd keep her safe. That's why. You see, this is why he stopped asking Katherine these kinds of questions. The answers never made any damn sense...Katherine hadn't come back, though. It's been a week, and no sign of her. He frowned. Somehow, Patricia started making a little more sense...  
  
The clock donged 9:00pm in the study.   
  
He didn't have anymore time to think about it. Freddy smirked and placed a hand on her shoulder, and shook her lightly.  
  
" What's your adress, Patricia? I should get you home..."   
  
There was a little blonde blue-eyed piggie on the next street that was dieing for her medicine...  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
" Is that all, Mother?"   
  
" Yes. Now get out of my sight."   
  
Patricia nodded and backed out of her Mother's bedroom with her dinner tray, and closed the door. She was still nursing her wrist from yesterday. Mother had decided to shove her down the stairs. Atleast she landed on her stomach...Patricia walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She placed the plates in the sink and washed out the glass. Mother was still upset about yesterday...She's convinced that Patricia never cared about her sister. She loved her sister, but she always had that sense of remorse for the attention she recieved from Mother and Father. That didn't mean she never loved Stephanie...Patricia headed back to her bedroom and closed the door. It was raining outside...not even rain, a light drizzle. It would stop in 30 minutes or so. She sat by her window and watched outside. Sara had safely sneaked out after they'd gone. There's a plus, right?...Sara was still moving to Springwood...Tomorrow. Then she'd be alone again. Alone with Mother. That still frightened her just as much as it did when she was a young girl.   
  
--"Your Mother shouldn't scare you, Patricia!"--  
  
No, she shouldn't...but she does. Even more so when this day rolls around. Ah, to just be free, to go back to where she used to live...Maybe even live with Father again. If only he were still alive...When they divorced after the incident, Patricia was put into her father's custody. Certainly was more leniant than Mother. She sighed. Never mind. It's better with Father dead. Even he was fed up with her before she turned 15. At that time, they were living a little outside of Springwood. Bastard sent her to Westin Hills...It was only a month, sure, but that place was horrid. Too many people screaming at night...no one could ever get any sleep. Once she came home, he was always preoccupied with work and trying to get their old house sold. Eventually, the stress became too much for him, and he put a gun his his mouth that summer.   
  
No big loss. Only problem was she had to go back to living with Mother.   
  
What a picnic she is.  
  
Maybe Father had the right idea...it was certainly better than getting plastered every night like Mother did. Yes, a gun or a knife sounds alot more plausible than that fucking bottle she's glued to--  
  
There was a tap at her window.   
  
Sara!  
  
Patricia ran and undid the lock for her friend. Sara jumped through, a little damp from the light rain. Slung over her shoulder was a backpack and she wore her heavy leather jacket and brown docks. She enveloped Patricia in a warm soggy hug.  
  
" Sara, what are you doing here?" Patricia hushed her voice. " I don't even think Mother's asleep yet."  
  
" Listen, Trish, I'm leaving tonight. I called the college, and they said I have to check into the dorm tomorrow morning, so, I figured, why not leave tonight?"  
  
"...Oh..well--"  
  
" I'm here to take you with me." Sara threw the backpack onto Patricia's bed and walked over to her closet. " I'm getting you of this hell-hole, ok?" Patricia ran over to her and grabbed her arm.  
  
" Sara, I can't leave. I've told you a thousand times--"   
  
"--You have to take care of your mother. I know. She can take care of herself from now on, Trish." Sara opened her closet and started throwing Patricia's clothes on the bed. " I'm getting you away from that woman if it's the last thing I do." She pulled an old satchel from the top of the closet and grimiced at it. " Jeez, Trish, when was the last time you moved?" Sara walked to the other side of the bed, opened the satchel and started loading Patricia's clothes into it.   
  
" When I was 15." Patricia walked to Sara and bit her lip. Mother might come to see what the noise is about...she grabbed Sara's arm again. " Sara, I really can't go. I just can't..."  
  
" Can't or won't?" Sara shook her off, took her by the shoulders and stared directly into her eyes." Patricia, I'm getting you out of here. I don't care what you say; You're either leaving voluntarily, or I drag you kicking and screaming. One or the other."  
  
Patricia stared back at her friend in shocked silence...Well, that about did it, didn't it? Patricia walked to her closet and retrieved a bigger suitcase. She emptied the satchel into it.   
  
" Okay." she murmered. Sara grinned.   
  
They worked quickly, filling the suitcase, satchel, and the backpack Sara brought up, emptying her dresser, closet, and of course under her bed. Patricia packed her box of newspapers into the suitcase and closed it. Sara took it, the backpack, the satchel and loaded them onto the ledge of the window. Sara climbed down first. Patricia tossed the bags down to her. She turned and looked at her room one last time.   
  
" Goodbye, Mother."  
  
Patricia climbed down with Sara's help and they loaded Sara's almost full car with her bags. Sara got in the driver's side, and Patricia on the passenger's. She turned the key, started up the car, and turned to her friend. Patricia wringed her hands, looking guiltily at the front of her house. Sara reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.   
  
" Ready, Trish?"  
  
Patricia took one last look, turned to Sara and nodded sternly.  
  
" Ready."  
  
" Springwood, here we come." Sara started up the car, and they sped down the street, full of fire and hope for a new life ahead them both...  
  
If only they knew what lied ahead...Patricia would have stayed home.   
  
  
  
  
------------  
I'm on fire. Read and Review please!!  
  
  



	5. Five, Six

WARNING: Contains violent images of a disturbing nature including child cruelty and mutilation. I'm going to Hell for this...You've been warned.   
  
  
Chapter 5: Five, Six...  
  
Patricia found herself staring at a bright red front door. What happened to Sara?...Where's the car? Behind her, little girls were jumping rope and chanting a song...  
  
Where am I?...  
  
'One, two, Freddy's comming for you...'  
  
The door opened with a loud creak...  
  
When in Rome.  
  
Patricia walked in, and looked around...God, how euphoric. Looks like a tomb. It's so familar...The carpet feels like wet sand...where are my shoes?  
  
'Three, Four, better lock your door...'  
  
" Hello?" What's that...smell?  
  
Cigars..?  
  
It's so damp in here...The walls have rotted through.   
  
A door under the stairs rattled.  
  
' Five, Six, grab your crucifix...'  
  
Must be to the basement.   
  
'Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late...'  
  
Patricia reached for the door handle...a red light emitted from the edges, and steam hissed from under the door...  
  
'Nine, Ten...'  
  
Scccrrreeee...   
  
"Trish!"   
  
"Trish, get up!" Patricia shot up out of the car seat and looked at Sara's frowning face. " You ok, Trish? You're shaking all over." Patricia brushed her hair away from her eyes and looked out the window. They passed a sign.  
  
Welcome to SPRINGWOOD!  
A Nice Place to Live  
  
  
" I-I'm ok...just a really odd dream, that's all. Are we..?"  
  
"Yeah. Springwood all right. From first looks, it almost seems deserted..."   
  
" You're right. How strange..." Patricia studied the street signs, landmarks, anything that could make her remember. Soon, they reached more civilization. It was all so alien...and so new. Half of the buildings didn't look a year old. They turned into the suburbs. She'd never been here before. Must be an add-on or something...What's that?  
  
" My God..."  
  
" What?"  
  
" There...over there, that was my elementary school. It's an empty lot now. Things really have changed." she stared out the window at a lonely driveway of cement surrounded by new houses...she used to play hopscotch by herself during recess right over there next to the dead oak tree. They drove on by the sidewalk Patricia had walked home on so many times...  
  
" Didn't you know? No, I guess you didn't...well, I was told by the college administrator that almost the entire town was wiped out by some crazy teenage disease a few years back. Half the population of kids and teens died. Once it was cleared, they rennovated the whole town, rebuilt almost everything." She turned a corner." They kinda gave up, I guess. Behind these streets, alot of neighborhoods still haven't been repaired. Empty broken down houses past this street." Sara stopped at a stop sign and pointed to a street name. Elm Street.   
  
Elm Street. I wonder who...  
  
" Creepy, huh? Hey, what was the street you used to live on?" they sped on by, and turned into the market part of town.   
  
" Shadow Glen." Patricia sighed and leaned into her chair again. Christ, this is weird...she didn't even recognize her own neighborhood.   
  
" Nice name." They stopped in the parkinglot of Springwood County Comunity College. The campus was buzzing with new people.   
  
"Listen, I gotta go check in at the front office. Judging by how many people just got here, it might take awhile. You wanna come with, or fend for yourself?" Sara opened her door and stepped out. Patricia followed.  
  
" I think I can manage." she looked around the campus. Where were they? She didn't recognize this part of Springwood...Had she really been away that long? "Ah...yeah. I'd like to see if I could find my old house. Just to...get my grounds again. It's really different from what I remember."  
  
" All righty then. Where will you be?"   
  
" Probably scouting out my old house. Look for me on Shadow Glen. If I'm not there...I probably came back here." Patricia turned and walked down the sidewalk. Sara watched her go.  
  
" Be careful!" she called after her friend. Christ, how vauge can you be? Sometimes, Patricia really worried her. Sara headed into the college and searched for the main office. She couldn't help feeling a little guilty about bringing her here. Obviously, this town struck a nerve, but her Mother seemed to strike more than that. What was that woman's problem? Patricia is so messed up because of her...Hell, Sara's 6 years younger than she is, and she had more common sense. If someone causes her pain, she gets that someone away. Well, you couldn't really blame Trish...Living with that psycho your whole life could totally fuck up your mentality. After awhile of wandering aimlessly down cooridors, Sara finally found the main office.   
  
Craptasitc...  
  
It was completely packed with people from desk to doorway. Sara waded her way through people and got to the front desk. There was a woman beside her a few years older than herself. She was yelling at one of the women behind the desk.   
  
" C'mon, lady! What's the hold up?!"   
  
" I'm sorry ma'am, but there's nothing I can do to help."  
  
" Man, that is bullshit!"  
  
" Please refrain from profanity miss, or we'll have you escorted from the building."  
  
" God..." The woman beat her fist on the counter in frustration. She impatiently wiped blonde hair from her eyes and adjusted the backpack over her shoulder.  
  
" Excuse me, but what's going on?" Sara turned to the woman behind the desk. The woman hadn't heard her. She turned and bustled off to another office. Sara groaned and turned to the other blonde woman beside her.  
  
" Hey, what's the story? What's going on?"  
  
" Some jerk-off in the dorm assignments screwed up on who gets what room. Now we're all stranded for the night. "  
  
" Damn...that's shit." Sara leaned against the counter. The other blonde grunted in agreement. Seeing there was nothing else to do, Sara extended her hand to the blonde. " My name's Sara."   
  
The blonde shook her hand and adjusted the backpack again.   
  
" Mine's Tracy. Nice to meetcha."  
  
" Likewise."   
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
Patricia opened her eyes to find herself staring at the wallpaper of her room. She was in her bed, still fully dressed, but her shoes were gone. There was a soft thudding sound comming through the wall. How did she get home?...She sat up, walked to her doorway, and looked down the hall. Stephanie's light was on. Was that where the noise was comming from? Was it Mommy? Daddy? She tiptoed down the hallway toward her sister's bedroom. If so, why were they in Stephanie's room? Patricia stepped into the doorway and squinted at the semi-bright light.   
  
" Having fun, Curly Sue?"   
  
Freddy made another tiny cut on Stephanie's cheek with his index razor. Her face, arms, her body was covered in them, blood mixing with tears. Once and awhile, she'd make a small whimpering noise. After all, it's hard to speak with a Barbie doll's head jammed in your mouth...  
  
" Mr. Krueger? What are you doing?"  
  
Freddy turned and met the sleepy eyes of Patricia in the doorway. Perfect. He smiled darkly, walked over, and kneeled down. She stared at the blades on his right hand and reached out to touch them. He lifted his left unbladed gloved hand and grabbed hers.   
  
" Don't cut yourself. Did you sleep well, Patricia?"  
  
" Yes, sir."   
  
" Good. Is your parent's bedroom downstairs?"  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
"Good. Let me ask you something: Are you sure Stephanie has been a good girl?"   
  
" Yes, sir. Mommy always says she's a good girl."   
  
" Do you think Mommy is right?"  
  
"...I don't.." Mommy's always right...isn't she?  
  
" Mommy can be wrong, Patricia. She says you're a bad girl. I don't think you're a bad girl."  
  
" You don't?"  
  
Freddy grinned and touched her cheek with his left hand. Manipulation was so easy with the young...  
  
" Would I lie? Now..Stephanie on the other hand...did she ever try to help you when Mommy punishes you?"  
  
"...No."  
  
" She should have. Shouldn't she, Patricia?"  
  
"..I guess so. Yes."  
  
" Now, don't you think Stephanie has been a bad girl?"  
  
"...Yes, sir."  
  
" Does she need to be punished?" Mr. Krueger moved to the side and let Patricia look at Stephanie. She frowned. Yes, she did need to be punished. She should have helped when Mommy punished her for Stephanie's mistakes. They were her fault.   
  
" Yes, Sir. When you've been a bad girl, you need to be punished. She needs to learn a lesson."   
  
" Good girl." Freddy stood and placed his bladed hand on Patricia's shoulder. "Is there anything you would like to say to your sister, Stephanie?"  
  
Stephanie struggled from being tied to the two top bedposts, making the bed hit the wall. That's what the sound was. She still couldn't say anything, what with the doll's head lodged in the way. Freddy grinned and gave a short laugh.   
  
" I guess not." He walked back over to the bedside and raised his claws in a menacing way. " Do you want to tell her anything, Patricia?"   
  
Patricia thought for a moment.   
  
" It's your fault, Stephanie. You can't blame me this time."   
  
Freddy flashed her an insidious smirk. A little vengeful, are we? There's something bitter inside little Patricia, and he liked it. The little twit was starting to grow on him...He clicked two of his claws and trailed them from Stephanie's nose to her stomach. She stared at him with tear-brimmed eyes full of terror. For him. All for him.  
  
Patricia turned away.   
  
" A bad girl has to be punished." He plunged all four knives into her middle, a gutteral sound left his throat at Stephanie's muffled cry. Damn..three in one day. What a rush...  
  
Patricia turned back to Mr. Krueger. He was wiping the blood off his knive-fingers. She hoped that Mommy and Daddy hadn't heard Stephanie...she wasn't that loud, was she? Freddy turned to her. He smiled that crooked smile again. Patricia couldn't help but smile back. He walked to her, and hooked one of his knives very lightly under her chin so as not to cut her.  
  
" Do you know how to keep a secret, Patricia?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" This will be our secret, Patricia. You promise not to tell anyone?"  
  
" I promise, Mr. Krueger. I always keep a promise." Patricia smiled. Freddy grinned down at her. That kept him safe for the next day or so. She wouldn't tell...  
  
He turned off Stephanie's light, walked Patricia back to her bedroom, and tucked her into bed. Stealthily, Freddy grabbed a small picture of Stephanie off her nightstand and slipped it into his pocket. He sat beside her, and moved a strand of hair from her face with one of his claws. She was his child now...He stared down at her in the dark. What was he going to do with her? He never answered that question to himself. He couldn't take her in. Her parents were sure to notice their little scape-goat was gone. And what would happen when Katherine came home?...If she came home...  
  
" Will you come by again tomorrow, Patricia?"  
  
She nodded and yawned.   
  
" I will."   
  
He could decide tomorrow. She closed her eyes and curled into her covers. It had been a long day...  
  
" Good night, Mr. Krueger..."   
  
Freddy stood and walked to the doorway. He looked back.   
  
" Good night, Princess."  
  
****  
  
Freddy pulled the keys out of the ignition to his car for the third time that night. Atleast the fucking rain had stopped. He sat back in the driver's seat and pulled off the plain glove on his left hand. It was risky taking a child in her own home. He wasn't stupid. No prints, they can't pin anyone. He shoved the glove into his pocket along with his blades and the picture of Stephanie Tate. He half smiled to himself, replaying the soft tortured scream over and over in his head. The look in her eyes...all of their eyes...Revenge and pleasure never felt so good. It's a shame he wouldn't be there to see the look on -Mother's- face when she see's her precious brat split open like a thanksgiving turkey. He recalled the smile on Patricia's face. Sated, maybe? Satisfied with his handy work on her sister? Yeah, that's about right. Little Patricia...He still had to kill her. He nodded sternly to himself. She was still a little off-spring of the fuckers that made his life hell...Though, at the moment, her life didn't look much brighter than his was. Unwanted...unloved. Fuck it. What did she matter to him? So she didn't mind him slaughtering her perfect sister. So what? It wasn't anything special. Still...she didn't try to stop him. Cry for the loss of her sister. Ask him why he did it. Hell, even if she had, she answered her own question. Bad girls needed to be punished. It made so much sense. Loretta disobeyed. She was punished. She took her medicine just as he did as a young man. Simple as that.Why couldn't Katherine understand that? After she promised she wouldn't tell, she kept asking "why, why, why". Why the fuck not?! Ever wonder that?! Christ...he still missed her, though. His little girl...his little Princess. Princess. He had called Patricia Princess. Why?...He didn't know. Maybe he just missed Katherine. It had been a week afterall...in the dark there, she did resemble her a little. Patricia was easier to manage. She didn't ask why. She didn't accuse him with those...empty eyes. Fuck...Freddy stretched and felt a few vertebrae crack. He'd been sitting in the car too long. He got out, closed the car door, and headed inside. Down in the basement, Freddy taped Stephanie's photo to his wall. When he had snatched the picture, he failed to notice that Patricia was also in the picture. He took scissors, cut Patricia out, and left it on the table. Who knows? He might paste it up there tomorrow.   
  
There was a doorbell.  
  
Fucking hell, what now?  
  
The doorbell rang again, followed by a series of knocks and bangs.   
  
He's never going any Goddamned privacy tonight. Freddy locked the door to his basement room, and headed upstairs. He could see two tall figures through the screen door standing on his doorstep. Both in police uniforms and hats.  
  
Shit.  
  
Freddy opened the door and forced a welcoming smile.  
  
" Can I help you gentlemen?"   
  
The first officer spoke.   
  
" Fred Krueger?"  
  
-Shit.-  
  
" Yes."  
  
" Daughter: Katherine Krueger?"  
  
Katherine.   
  
" Yes; is there anything wrong? Where is she?"   
  
The second officer spoke.  
  
" She's safe, sir. Her whereabouts are no longer of your concern."   
  
The first officer now held a pair of handcuffs.   
  
" Mr. Krueger, your daughter came to us yesterday with a story about your wife. She's been missing for about 2 weeks now, yes?"   
  
Shit!  
  
" Yes, that's right."  
  
" Katherine reported that she saw you murder her mother, and had run away from home 5 days ago. Is this true?"  
  
Shit!!  
  
" No. She didn't come home from school today. She's been...distraught because her mother left the family. I've been out looking for her all evening."   
  
" Do you have an alibi for that?"   
  
" Not entirely--"  
  
" Your daughter also mentioned something about your "special work", Mr. Krueger. Because we can't cut corners with the cases of child murder piling up, we're going to have to ask you to come with us down to the station for questioning."  
  
" What--? Now wait one damn--"  
  
Another officer called from the two police cars outside his house.   
  
" Hey! Thomson!!" The first officer turned.  
  
" What is it?"  
  
" There's been another murder! Just a few hours ago! Over on Shadow Glen! 6-year old girl!"   
  
SHIT.   
  
Officer Thomson turned back to Freddy, roughly grabbed his arm, and forced the handcuffs on him.  
  
" You sure you have no alibi?"  
  
" Hold your fucking horses--"   
  
" Fred Krueger, we're going to have to take you into custody."   
  
  
-----------  
  
Thanks for the support, everyone. Read and Review please!  
  



	6. Grab your Crucifix

Bear with me. Really long one.   
  
Chap. 6: Grab your Crucifix...  
  
" The trial of Fred Krueger is now in session." The judge pounded his gavel against the pedestal. Freddy sat at the side of the court in his stripped sweater next to his lawyer looking quite bitter. After hearing that his court date had been moved up again and again, his no-good lawyer Mr. Sandson finally got them to settle on a day. About fucking time. He better be worth every cent...He looked across the court to the side by the jury. Great. Some mother on the student counsul was leading the the testimony against him. Their lawyer stood to have their say. Goddamned WASP neighborhoods...Seated behind them was Mr. and Mrs. Tate. Still in black? The hell...It's been 4 days. Get over it. Patricia arched her head up and looked over the rail. They brought her? What for? Sympathy? Fuckers...They don't even care about her. She was looking right at him. He half smiled. She smiled back. She probably had no idea what was going on...Her Mother yanked Patricia back into her seat and scolded her. Bitch probably promised a punishment after the trial today. His lawyer stood to speak his defense. This was going to be a long day.   
  
Witness after witness was called to the stand to speak out against Krueger. Most of them were parents and occupants of Elm Street. All of them, claiming they had seen him lurking around the streets and houses, talking to the neighborhood's children, even his neighbor sat up there and claimed she had heard Loretta's struggle on the day she went missing. His boss was up there too. Oh, no, he had no idea he was doing this sort of thing...the fact he was using the boiler room after hours never clued him in on his 'special work'. Dumbass...Morons, all of them. They brought this on themselves...The lawyer for the other side stood to call in another witness. Who's it gonna be this time?   
  
"...Not only is this a trial over whether he's guilty or not, but also if Mr. Krueger here is suitable enough to raise a child. That leads to my next witness. I call Katherine Krueger to the stand."   
  
No...  
  
The courtroom doors opened and a woman came walking down with Katherine.  
  
Unbe-fucking-lievable.   
  
" He's using my own daughter to testify against me?!" Freddy hissed to Sandson.   
  
" Don't panic yet. He's doing this for false sympathy."   
  
Goddamn...Katherine smiled as she walked past him.   
  
" Hi, Daddy."  
  
Hi?! The hell--Hi?! How was he supposed to respond to that?! He hadn't seen her in over a fucking week, and she suddenly appears to speak out against him? She told. She didn't keep that promise. Hi? Christ...He watched her climb into the witness stand and sit down. She still had ribbons in her hair...Oh, Katherine. Hell with it...she was safe.   
  
The judge turned to her.  
  
" Hello, Katherine."  
  
" Hi."  
  
" How old are you?"  
  
" Five."  
  
" Do you know the difference between the truth and a lie?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" While you're up here, I need you to tell the truth. Can you do that?"  
  
" Uh-huh."  
  
The judge motioned to the lawyer to continue. He walked over to Katherine.   
  
" Katherine, when you came to the police station, what did you tell them about your daddy?"  
  
" That daddy had hurt mommy because she went into his secret room."  
  
" Do you know where your mommy is?"  
  
" No. She's gone."  
  
" Gone where?"  
  
" I don't know. Daddy said she was gone and wasn't comming back."   
  
" Do you know why?"  
  
" She's somwhere else now. I don't know where it is."   
  
" I have no further questions."   
  
The lawyer turned to Freddy's and looked smug.  
  
" Your witness."   
  
Mr. Sandson stood and sighed. Freddy leaned back in his chair and chewed on the inside of his lip. Now what, genius?  
  
" Katherine do you remember everything that went on that day?"  
  
"..Kinda."   
  
"Did your daddy say anything when you saw him hurt your mommy?"  
  
" Yes. He said...she had to take her medicine."   
  
" Oh? What made you think he hurt your mommy?"  
  
" Because she was laying down."  
  
" Did she look like she was sleeping?"  
  
" Kinda."   
  
The other lawyer stood. " Your honor--"  
  
" No further questions." Sandson took his seat by Freddy and exhailed. Freddy raised his eyebrows. Not bad. The judge turned back to Katherine.  
  
" You can go sit down now."  
  
" Thank you." Katherine walked to the back of the courtroom and sat with the lady she came in with. Patricia watched her walk down the aisle. She does have hair like Stephanie's...The other lawyer stood.  
  
" I have no more witnesses, your Honor."   
  
Sandson turned to Freddy and murmered softly. " The girl you told me about. The sister of the one that died. Her name?"  
  
" Patricia. Patricia Tate. Why?"   
  
" I may have something. Is she here?"   
  
" Yes. What are you--"   
  
" Very well. Mr. Sandson, you may proceed."   
  
Sandson stood and gave Freddy a confident glance. What the hell was he going to do?   
  
" Seeing as we're...humoring the court with the children of Springwood, I bring forth my first suprise witness. I call Patricia Tate to the stand."   
  
Patricia looked up in confusion. Her? He wanted to talk to her? Why? What's going on? The man sitting at the table infront of her stood.  
  
" Your Honor, what does she have to do with anything--"  
  
" She is the sister of Stephanie Tate, the last child murdered in Springwood. She's also a frequent visitor at my client's home."   
  
" I object--"  
  
" Overruled. Come up here, Patricia."   
  
Patricia stood and walked from behind the rails and Sandson led her to the witness stand. Had she done something wrong? She looked back at Mr. Krueger. He looked about as confused as she was. Sandson stood by the stand as Patricia sat down. The judge looked down at her.  
  
" Hello Patricia."  
  
"...hello."  
  
" Did you hear what I asked Katherine? Do you know the truth from a lie?"   
  
" Yes, sir."   
  
The judge nodded to Sandson to proceed.   
  
" Do you know Mr. Krueger, Patricia?"  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
" Is he kind to you?"  
  
" He is, sir."   
  
" How did you meet him?"  
  
" I was...being chased by some kids from my school. I fell, and he helped me. I had something stuck in my hand. He invited me inside." Patricia lifted her palm, showing a large, brown, still fresh scab just below her thumb on the heel of her hand. " He pulled it out."  
  
" I see. When you were in his home, did he do anything to you Patricia?"  
  
"...He wrapped my hand."   
  
" Is that all?"  
  
" Yes, sir."   
  
" Ah. Is that the only time you've been in his home, Patricia?"  
  
" No sir."  
  
" No? How many times have you been there, Patricia?"  
  
She bit her lip. Mother would know now...  
  
"...three."   
  
" Three times? And he's always been kind to you?"  
  
" Yes, sir. Mr. Krueger is very nice to me. He helped me when Mommy--"   
  
Mother glared at Patricia. Oh no..she can't tell...she can't say anything or she'll be punished. Patricia hung her head. Freddy stared at her. Say it...tell them what she did to you, Patricia, and we'll both get ourselves out of this. Say something. Say it!  
  
" 'When Mommy' what, Patricia? Patricia?"   
  
Patricia looked up. Daddy gave her an excuse last time...what was it?...  
  
"...When Mommy wasn't home. I fell down the kitchen stairs. I got hurt bad. I left to see if Mr. Krueger could help me..."   
  
Freddy exhailed through his nose. Shit...He glanced over at Mrs. Tate. He knew she had something to do with that change in thought. Damn whore.  
  
" So you went to Mr. Krueger's house?"   
  
" Yes, sir. He made my head better." Patricia pointed to her temple that was covered by her hair.   
  
" What happened after that?"  
  
" Mr. Krueger took me home. He tucked me into bed and left."   
  
" He left right after tucking you in?"  
  
" Yes, sir. Right after."   
  
Sandson turned to the judge. " No further questions." He turned to the other lawyer. " Your witness."   
  
The other man stood and walked over to Patricia.  
  
" Patricia, Stephanie was your sister, wasn't she?"  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
" What happened to her?"  
  
"...She died."  
  
" Do you know why?"   
  
A promise is a promise.  
  
" No, sir."  
  
" Are you sure Mr. Krueger left right after tucking you in, Patricia?"  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
" Did he do anything before leaving?"  
  
A promise is a promise...  
  
" No, sir."   
  
" Patricia, did he do anything to Stephanie?"  
  
Patricia glanced at Mr. Krueger. He was looking blankly at her, waiting for her answer. A promise is still a promise, and she had to keep it. The lawyer got in her view.  
  
" Look at me, Patricia."  
  
She did.  
  
" Did he?"  
  
" No, sir. He didn't. Mr. Krueger isn't a bad man. He's not."   
  
The lawyer sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No further questions." The judge turned to Patricia.  
  
" You can go sit now."  
  
" Thank you." Patricia stepped down. Freddy tried to keep from grinning. What a clever little dear she is...Dumb fucks don't have leverage anymore. Patricia walked past him. She looked...he smirked at her. Good job, kid. She smiled.   
  
"Patricia." her Mother yanked her into her seat. Patricia turned her focus to her hands folded in her lap. Mother was mad. Very mad. Freddy felt a sudden anger in the pit of his stomach. Mrs. Tate was starting to work his last nerve...  
  
" What's--.." Mr. Sandson had been looking through various papers in his breifcase over the testimony and legal records. " I may have your ticket out of here..." He stood. " Permission to aproach the bench, Your Honor?"  
  
" Proceed."   
  
Sandson walked to the judge and showed him a few papers. He spoke softly, and looked quite excited. Freddy shifted nervously. What the hell was he doing? The judge looked as if he'd come to a decision.   
  
" We will have an hour recess. We will return at 4:45." He pounded his gavel. The bailiff and two other policemen walked over and secured handcuffs on Krueger again. Mr. Sandson walked over.  
  
" What was that all about?"  
  
" Look, I may have found something. Sit tight, ok?"   
  
" Like I have any other fucking choice..." as Freddy was led away, he heard the judge asking one of the officers to fetch him Officer Thomson. Thomson?...oh right...the officer that arrested him. What did he have to do with anything?...  
  
****  
  
Freddy once again took his seat on the side of the court. Officer Thomson was now standing off to the side. Sandson sat next to him and looked rather pleased with himself. What the hell was going on...  
  
" Mr. Sandson has just shown me a search warrent and arrest file for Mr. Krueger." he motioned for Sandson to continue. He stood and held up the two documents.  
  
"It was not filled out correctly, and there was no permission entitled to the search and arrest of Fred Krueger. The officer that conducted the arrest and search was Officer Thomson. He was in direct code violation. "  
  
The judge took over.  
  
"Because of the evidence brought to my attention, the testimony against Fred Kruger is void. He is cleared of all charges."   
  
Son-of-a-bitch. He did it. He actually did it. Freddy stood and shook hands with his lawyer. There was a loud rumble behind them as the parents of Springwood rebelled and commented among themselves. The judge banged the gavel for their attention.  
  
" Now, on the custody of Katherine Krueger." He turned to Freddy." Mr. Krueger, from what I've been told by the counselors that have spoken with Katherine, your appearance of parenthood does not look good. I have no choice but to take her away from you. Mr. Krueger, custody requests over Katherine Krueger are denied. Court is adjourned." He banged his gavel one last time, got up, and left the courtroom.   
  
The room was buzzing with the same question: How could they? News crews poured in as wave after wave of parents left in loud outrage over the injustice that had befallen Springwood. Freddy turned to see his only daughter walk out of the court room. That was last time he'd see her for a long long time...maybe never again. They flashed pictures in his face, and asked questions, but all he could do his stand there in silent rage over the loss of his daughter...oh, they'll pay...they'll all pay.   
  
" Mr. Krueger--"  
  
Patricia?? He looked in time to see Patricia's little face behind the crowds of people. He attempted to push past them, but Patricia was grabbed away by none-other then her Mother.   
  
" We're leaving, Patricia. Right NOW." Mother dragged Patricia by her wrist down the aisle. Her Father had already left. Patricia craned her head back to see Mr. Krueger looking at her. Please don't let them take me back home...  
  
She was yanked out the door without so much as a goodbye. Freddy left the courtroom and let his lawyer handle the news people. Who gives a fuck what they want to know...He had his freedom, sure, but his entire life had been torn from him. His wife was dead, his daughter was going to be shoved into some foster home now, and Patricia will probably be locked up in her room for the rest of her life. Why couldn't she had told them about what her Goddamned Mother did to her? Why didn't she say anything? Shit, why was he thinking about her? Should he be worried about Katherine more than Patricia? Well...she did keep her promise. She didn't tell. She kept her mouth shut like a good girl. If it hadn't been for Katherine, none of this would have happened. That would have suited him just fine. Why did she have to go and fuck everything up? She just -had- to tell someone...Patricia knew better. He recalled her smile again...the one after he murdered her sister. It wasn't just sated...understanding? Christ. Understanding. Right. She's a Goddamned 5 year old. She couldn't understand something like that...could she? No. The only thing she could understand was being quiet at the right time. That proved she was smarter than Katherine. Loretta even. Hah, that's funny. Loretta had less common sense than a 5 year old child of abuse. Stupid girl. She should have told on her Mother...Great parents she has. Cocksuckers. Freddy walked the way home; all the way from from the court building to Elm Street. It didn't take too long. Thirty minutes or so. Once he got there, he grabbed the newspaper off the porch, and went straight down into the basement. He lit a cigar, sat at his table, and cut out articles of himself from the paper. He laughed at the bold headlines.   
  
SPRINGWOOD SLASHER SET FREE  
  
CHILD MURDERER RUNS LOOSE  
  
KRUEGER NOT GUILTY   
  
The papers must have been pre-printed and on standby. Eager little bastards...He pasted it up on his wall with the children, leaned back, and admired his collection. They were all his children. He grinned at himself. Oh, but why stop at Elm Street? There were still so many to go through...so many piggies waiting to be roasted. Like delicious little Stephanie...He looked at her picture closely. Looks like the jump-rope type...His eyes wandered down to the table where Patricia's picture lied. He slid it closer with his index finger and stared down at her through slitted eyes. What the hell was left to do? Something needed to be done with the little tart, but what? Jesus, why did she make him think so much? That's it. Fuck it...he needed to get somewhere that wouldn't make him think about it. A place with different memories...he smirked and put out his cigar. What the hell. He had the key to the place, didn't he? Sure, his boss told him to turn it in in the morning and clean out his workspace, but it's not morning yet. Krueger grabbed two of his cubans, locked the door to his room, walked upstairs, grabbed his coat, locked the front door, the screen door, and walked to his car. It's pretty late. Everyone usually left by 4:00. He should have the factory to himself...  
  
****  
  
Patricia sat at the top of the kitchen stairs listening to various sounds of ripping paper. Mother had found the newspaper and was taking her rage out on it. She was talking to Father.  
  
" Can you believe this, Samuel? Can you believe this?! That--That sicko is free, and it's all because of that daughter of yours--"  
  
" Belinda, he would have gotten out even if Patricia hadn't been there. If you want to blame anyone, blame that idiot officer that didn't sign things right."   
  
" I can't stand for this, Sam. I can't." she stuffed the newspaper in the trash.  
  
" What are you going to do, Belinda? Riot?--"  
  
" He murdered our daughter, Sam! In her own bed! Doesn't that mean anything to you?! Don't you want justice?! Oh, my poor baby Stephanie..." she sniffled and cried. She'd been doing that for days. Since they found her. " My poor baby...It's her fault too, Samuel. That little bitch Patricia! Your daughter had a hand in this, I know it--"  
  
" Stop it, Belinda! I understand you're upset, and I'm sure Patricia's learned her lesson by now, but you can't blame her for something like this. She's just a little girl--"  
  
"--And that sick bastard's playmate! You heard her up there, Sam! She was defending him for killing her own sister! It's not right, Sam. It's just not right--"  
  
" What the hell do you want me to do about it, huh?! What?!!"   
  
The phone rang. Belinda picked it up.  
  
" Hello?!...oh...oh, Hello Marge. Yes I'm...I'm fine. Thank you so much. Yes, he's...well. Oh no, I'm sure it wasn't Donald's fault...anyone can make a mistake. Yes...yes, I'll tell her. Huh?...Oh, really--...Oh...My. Oh, I think it's a perfect idea. We'll be there, Marge. Yes. Goodbye." by the end of the call, Belinda's voice was low and grim.   
  
" Sam, go make sure that girl is in her room."  
  
Patricia stood, walked quickly to her room, and left the door open a crack. Samuel walked up the stairs just enough to see the upstairs hallway. He walked back down.  
  
" She is. Why? What was that all about?"  
  
" Marge is asking all the victims' parents to come over to her house tonight. Something has to be done, Samuel. Get your coat."   
  
Patricia listened as her parents left and locked the front door. She quietly walked down stairs and dug the newspaper out of the trashcan. She salvaged what she could, took it back up to her room, and tucked it into a black boot box under her bed with other newspapers she had gathered. All of them had headlines of Mr. Krueger. Mother had grounded her to bed once they got home. Oh well...she could always visit Mr. Krueger tomorrow after school.   
  
  
****  
  
Freddy took an irritated puff of his cigar and paced infront of the window to the boiler room. Those damn parents had been out there for about an hour now...Didn't they have anything better to do? They can't change anything by revolting outside the factory. They brought it on themselves...when will they wise up and understand that? Fuckers. He came there to be alone, and what does he get? A bunch of shitheads with picket signs and torches.   
  
" We want justice! We want Justice! We want Justice!!" and so on.   
  
They were just so loud...He was suddenly reminded of elementary school through highschool. If they started chanting that damn "son-of-a-hundred maniacs" thing, he'd walk out there and kill 'em all with his bare hands. He looked out the window again and recognized Ruthie Bedled's parents, Officer Thomson and what appeared to be his wife, Toby's parents, and...oh, look who it is: Mr. and Mrs. Tate. How pleasant. He could give a rat's ass...Freddy sat at a small table he used to eat at during lunch. Really, it had been rather useful with Ruthie...  
  
The sound of broken glass echoed behind him. He turned. Great...they can throw rocks. How primative. Three or four more rocks flew through the window as Krueger finished his second cigar. Go home already...Jesus. They didn't have a right to be out there. It wasn't his fault he was born. It wasn't his fault that he was dumped in their society of non-acceptence. He could have been a decent guy, but no. They ruined his childhood. They ruined his life. They took away his innocence, his job, his wife, and now is own fucking daughter. Even Patricia was lost to him now. Why? For ridding the world of clones of the shit they are? Cleaning the grimy mess they made of this two-bit bathroom stall they call a town? If they had a right to take his reason away, he had a right to take there's. Their children. They can take that 'justice' bullshit and shove it right back up their asses.   
  
A larger crash caught his attention. He turned to see a flaming beer bottle fly in through the window and crash on the ground next to the door. The exit was blocked, and the fire was spreading quickly. Another bottle flew in and hit the table. Freddy jumped up and moved to the center of the room. Two more bottles flew in, and soon the boiler room was blanketed in raging heat. This was it...He was going to die. He didn't want to go like this...not yet, when his work wasn't finished. Patricia...He still needed to see Katherine again..Patricia..NO. Those fuckers out there couldn't win, they just couldn't. He wouldn't let them...It's impossible. Not now...  
  
" I WAS SO FUCKING CLOSE!!"  
  
" Freddy.."   
  
He turned to see a pair of gleaming eyes burst from the fiery ground...then another and another. Red glows were imbedded in horrifying skulls, flying at a flickering speed around him. Their bodies were thin, apendage-less, and encrusted with gore from former masters and slaves...  
  
" Freddy..." one of them flew to him. " We know what you want."  
  
" I want it ALL."  
  
" Take us in, Freddy, and you shall be FOREVER."   
  
He accepted. The three ghastly figments became one with his body, mind, and soul. He felt connection, screaming connection. He knew what he must do...He understood. He was forever. He was eternal. He was vengence and hate. He was Power. He was EVERYTHING.   
  
With that, the flames enveloped Freddy Krueger's mortal body, melting away flesh, blood, and everything that trapped him on life's unfeeling coil. They shouldn't have pushed him...they should have been more careful. On another plane of exsistence, another scape of being, something was reborn that night. A being that held and knew all the evils of our world. It was something much worse. A spirit. A demon. A new evil in itself that for all of time would never lay to rest.   
  
  



	7. Seven, Eight

Dear Readers: Thank you so much for your support. I have recently found out that I might have Carpal Tunnel, so the chapters might come out a day later than they usually do. THIS FIC STILL LIVES! I will spit out chapters like crazy just as I have in the past few days. Thank you again. - Invader Miraza  
  
Chap. 7: Seven, Eight...  
  
God...Shivers crept up Patricia's spine as she stood in the half destroyed wreck she used to call home. Sara was right. Everything past Elm was almost gone. Her entire street was almost totaled. Only 4 houses were still standing. She stepped over bricks, rotted wood, and weeds that had grown into the basement, up the walls, and curled around the floor. Gone. Seven years of her childhood gone. Just like that. Well, then again, they weren't the best seven years of her life. In fact, they were down-right shitty. Atleast up until the divorce was final. Father had taken her to another home by then. She remembered when it had started...just over there, by the kitchen stairs. That's when it started. When Mother had made Patricia burn her arm on the stove. When Father came home and she told him. When he laid his coat down on the kitchen table and argued against Mother's punishments for the first time in Patricia's life...  
  
---" Damn it, Belinda, you can't keep doing this. People will see her; They talk alot in this town!"  
  
" What do you want me to do, Samuel? Let the spoiled brat get away with everything she does? She's not a good girl, Sam. You know that. She's not--"  
  
"-Like Stephanie? Belinda, Patricia will never be like Stephanie. Not with the way you've raised her. Stephanie is gone. Let go..."  
  
" No, Sam. I won't let go of my little girl...you might, but I just can't."  
  
" You can't raise Patricia like this, Linda. She's your daughter too. She always has been. Accept it."  
  
" NO! SHE'S YOUR DAUGHTER!!"   
  
"...You know, you're right. She is my daughter. And I'm taking her." ---  
  
The house's naked skeleton creaked as wind blew through it's rusty and broken frame. Patricia hugged her arms, and looked up at the two walls that still held fast. There was a window facing the end of the street...How many times had she sat up there looking through that window? Had she ever thought that she might not look through it again? Probably not. If anything, she thought she was going to stay there forever. But she didn't...Father had taken her away. They weren't the best years with him...  
  
It was better than Mother, wasn't it?  
  
...yes it was. Much better.   
  
--" What do you want to do today, Queen Trisha?"--  
  
That was his nickname for her. Queen Trisha. It was great the first few years...then the work was too much. He had to juggle a job, the divorce settlements, the house, and her needs. He started getting headaches, stress related disorders, backaches, ulcers...he decided to get rid of one of the smaller problems. How? Easy. Get a doctor's signature and send her screaming off to Westin Hills. "She's Emotionally Unstable". Great Father, wasn't he? No...it wasn't his fault...she must have been driving him crazy. Like Mother used to say, there was something wrong with her. Well, there couldn't have been too much wrong with her...Father's GP Dr. Campbell released her after a month saying she was in perfect health. He must have been wrong...She still caused too many problems for Father. That's why he killed himself. That's why she had to go back with Mother...  
  
The wind blew again and Patricia wrapped her arms tighter around herself. She walked onto the sidewalk and faced her home. Without another glance, she turned and walked to the end of the road. There was another street she needed to visit before heading back...  
  
  
***  
  
" Real organized around here, huh?" Tracy stated, walking back into the hallway again with Sara. She dropped the backpack by a wall and leaned against it.   
  
" Yeah. And you wonder why they're one of the better colleges in the state..."   
  
" Tracy!" Both Sara and Tracy turned toward the new voice. A woman with short brown hair, a beige coat, and a cynical dispostion made her way over to Tracy. She looked a little flustered and out of breath. "What's going on, Tracy?"  
  
" They fucked up in the office somehow. No one has a dorm."   
  
" Spectacular. Who's this?" Maggie gave Sara a weak smile.  
  
" Oh, yeah. Sara, Maggie, Maggie Sara. Sara's applying too, and Maggie's my..guardian I guess."  
  
Sara held her hand out in friendship and Maggie took it.  
  
" Pleased to meet you. What are you majoring in?"   
  
" Anatomy and Physiology. I know, I know, dumb blonde trying to cut people up. I've heard all the jokes." Sara laughed to herself as she often does.   
  
Tracy laughed and shouldered her bag again.  
  
" I'm majoring in Kinesiology. Gymnastics and body fitness, that sort of thing. Dumb blonde trying to to a handstand." Tracy turned to Maggie. " You get a hold of Doc?"  
  
" Yeah, told him we got here fine, and we're to call him again when you've settled in your dorm. Seeing that isn't the case, I'll have to book us a motel or something." Maggie looked at Sara." Are you here with anyone or by yourself?"   
  
" Oh, no, My friend Patricia is here with me. She went off to check out some stuff...I should probably see if she's back."   
  
"Trace, judging by the amount of people, we should get cracking too. It was nice meeting you, Sara." Maggie held out her hand. Sara shook it with a smile.  
  
" Likewise, Maggie."   
  
Tracy dug through her bag and found a scrap of paper. She scribbled a number on it and handed it to Sara.  
  
" Hey, if you wanna go eat or something later, this is my cell number. Give us a call after you get in somewhere, okay?"  
  
" Sure thing. Great meeting you guys."   
  
" You too." Tracy and Maggie took off down the hall. Sara made her way back to the parking lot and found that Patricia hadn't returned yet.  
  
" Ok, then...the hunt is on." She got into her car and took off. Now if she could only remember the street...  
  
Tracy and Maggie made their way to another parking lot on the other side of the campus.   
  
" Nice girl. " Maggie slipped on a pair of sunglasses and squinted up at the sun. It was cold, but it was still there...and to think that a few years ago, it was almost non-exsistent.   
  
" Yeah...jeez, I can't believe how alive this place is. It's kinda eery, isn't it?"  
  
" Yeah, it is. It's almost like he was never here." And he never will be again...Maggie turned off the alarm to her car and Tracy loaded her bag into the trunk. They got in, and Maggie pulled out of the parking lot. Maggie chewed on the inside of her lip, furrowing her brow in question. Tracy looked over.  
  
"..What's up?"   
  
" There's something about that name...Patricia."   
  
" You think you might know her, or something?"  
  
" I don't know how since I've never seen Sara before. I dunno, maybe I've just been under too much stress..." After all, she was in Sprinwood. Her father's legacy was still here; if not in the open, then under the surface. Beneith the beauty of this reborn place lied such a horrific story...how did they just up and forget? Well, Freddy was dead...was that enough to let them move on? Maybe it was. Well, whatever they did...it seemed to work out fine.   
  
***  
  
Elm Street. How long had it been?...22 years. 22 or 23. In other words, too long. Patricia walked down the sidewalk listening to her shoes on the pavement. How many times had she walked this same way to get home? How many times had she been chased? Was it the still the same cement? Patricia counted the numbers on the houses. Did anyone even live in the house anymore? 1422. Was it still there? There really wasn't a point in going...it's not like she would expect Him to be there.1424. He's dead. Been dead for...how many years now? 22 or 23. 1426. Didn't matter. Still, it would be interesting to see who lived in that house now. There it is. 1428. It still looked the same, only there wasn't a screen door anymore. Oh God...how long had it been since she'd laid eyes on the place? Too long. She walked up the walkway and just let herself look at it. Thousands of memories came rushing back to her. She unconsciously rubbed a faint scar on the heel of her hand, and the pain was almost fresh in her mind...  
  
A car honked behind her. Patricia turned in suprise to see Sara getting out of her car and running up to her.  
  
" Man, I've been up and down Shadow Glen 3 times. I thought that was the street you said you lived on."  
  
" It is."  
  
" Then what are you doing here? You can't just bug people for no good reason."  
  
" A...friend used to live here. I'd just like to see who's here now."  
  
" I don't--"  
  
" Can I help you?"   
  
Sara and Patricia turned to see that a a middle aged man had come to the door to see what the noise was about.  
  
" I'm sorry to bother you sir, but..." Patricia looked at him closely. He was so familiar...greying hair, welcoming face, who was he? God, she'd been away from Springwood too long...  
  
--" Good Morning, Patricia. How are you feeling today?  
  
" Fine, Doctor. Thank you."--  
  
Of course!   
  
" Dr. Campbell?"  
  
" Yes." He nodded and looked confused. Who was she?  
  
" It's Patricia. Patricia Tate. You were my father's GP-- Ah, General Practitioner...You helped me out of Westin Hills when I was 15."  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't think I remember you..." He honestly didn't. It was difficult to remember the "consulting" he did at Westin over the years. Judging by her appearance, this woman was atleast 10 years past the age of 15.   
  
" Oh...Well, ah, My father's name was Samuel Tate. He...killed himself about 18 years ago, give or take." She sighed at his puzzled look again. How else could she make him remember?  
  
Well, there was always the "incident"...  
  
" My sister was Stephanie Tate. She was...the last child murdered by Fred Krueger here in Springwood."   
  
Campbell stared at her open mouthed. Tate. Of course...Belinda, Samuel, Patricia and Stephanie Tate. She was the tiny little thing that appeared in court that day that son-of-a-bitch was set free. At 15, her father put her into Westin for being unstable. Poor thing was perfectly sane...She wasn't having any dreams either. Samuel shot himself, and she was shipped out to live with her Mother. Never saw her again...The last Springwood child? Oh, if only she knew how wrong that was...he smiled and walked over to her.   
  
" Patricia! I remember you now. It's been so long. Look at you: All grown up. How's your mother?"  
  
"Ah, she's...taking a vacation. I came down here with my friend Sara. She's applying to the Springwood community college." Patricia smiled at Sara. She extended her hand and Dr. Campbell shook it firmly.  
  
" Pleased to meet you, Sara."  
  
" Likewise, sir."  
  
" Why don't you girls come on inside so you can sit down? " Dr. Campbell ushered Sara and Patricia inside.   
  
Patricia looked around. Everything was so different. She expected it be...but still...the lack of cigar smoke and the missing grandfather clock in the living room almost dissapointed her. No, the clock wouldn't have been in the living room. He moved it to the study...that's right. Why was she thinking about that now? Dr. Campbell, Sara, and Patricia walked into the kitchen. The girls sat at the table and Dr. Campbell walked to the counter.   
  
"My daughter should be home in a little while. Do you remember Lori, Patricia? I must have shown you so many pictures when I treated you at Westin. She was only about 7 then..." Dr. Campbell asked, fixing himself some coffee. Patricia looked at Sara's digital watch. 11:02am. She had forgotten that it was still early. " Do you two want anything?"  
  
" No thanks."  
  
" No, thank you. I remember her. How old is she now? "  
  
" 19. Can you believe it? You know, sometimes I can't.." Dr. Campbell laughed and sat at the table with a his coffee.   
  
" I was told this town was, like, trashed until a few years ago. The town almost looks like new. How long have you lived in this house?" Sara asked. Dr. Campbell sipped on his coffee.   
  
" About...4 years, I think. Ever since they fixed it up. I used to be outside of Springwood where Patricia's father used to live. My wife and I found a great deal on this house and bought it."   
  
" How is Mrs. Campbell?" Patricia asked. Dr. Campbell sighed.  
  
" She...passed away about 2 years ago."  
  
"..Oh...I'm so sorry, Dr. Campbell." Patricia wringed her hands together in embarrassment. Good job...  
  
" It's all right. You didn't know, Patricia. Thank you. So, are you staying in town or..?"  
  
" Well, actually, we're both going to have to find a place to crash for the night." Sara sighed.  
  
" Why? What's happened?" Patricia asked, turning to Sara.  
  
" Well, some moron in the office messed up with dorm assignments, so all the new arrivals are royaly screwed over. And looking at how many people were there, we're going to have a hard time looking for a room somewhere."   
  
The front door opened.  
  
" Dad, I'm home!"  
  
" In the kitchen, sweetheart."  
  
A tall, slender young woman walked into the kitchen sporting a short, newly red-haired look. Lori had stopped bleaching it at the end of last year so it took on it's natural red tint like her father used to have. It seemed like everyone was a blonde nowadays...She dropped her shoulder bag outside the kitchen and walked in.  
  
" Lori, this is Patricia Tate and Sara...?"  
  
" Glade. Sara Glade." Sara provided with a smile.  
  
" Sara Glade. Patricia's father used to be one of my old patients. She was also someone I treated at Westin."   
  
" Oh?.." Lori gave her father a questioning look. One of the dream ward patients?...Dr. Campbell recognized her glance.  
  
" Yes, but only for a short while. Very short if I remember, Patricia?" he looked at her.  
  
" Only a month...I think that was it. Your father declared there was nothing wrong with me." she gave a small smile. Lori smiled back. Oh good. She won't freak out at the sight of hypnocil. Lori took a seat at the table, and the four talked for say, two hours or so. Soon, they were on the subject of Springwood County Community College.   
  
" Sara here is applying to Springwood, Lori. You're majoring in...?" Dr. Campbell finished his second mug of coffee.   
  
" Anatomy and Physiology. Yeah, I was one of those girls that liked to see what made things tick." Sara laughed to herself.   
  
" Really? Maybe I'll see you around campus sometime." Lori smiled.   
  
" You go there too?"  
  
" Yeah, I'm working on a major in Education."   
  
" Nifty. I hope I see you around then."   
  
" Well, ah...we should probably leave now. We still have to find a motel somewhere." Patricia stood, and Sara followed suit.   
  
" A motel? Don't you have a dorm?" Lori asked.  
  
" The offices screwed up. None of the new people have one. We're stranded for the night."   
  
"...Well...why don't you stay here?" Lori asked, looking at her father. " We have a few extra rooms. They'll straighten things out pretty fast over there I think."  
  
Patricia started to protest.   
  
" Oh, we don't want to intrude--"   
  
" Nonsense, I think it's a great idea." Dr. Campbell said, standing. " Please, our house is open to you."   
  
Sara looked at Patricia.  
  
" What do you think?"  
  
Patricia bit at one of her nails and thought about it...  
  
" Are you sure we won't be a bother?"  
  
" Of course not. So it's settled? You'll stay with us?"   
  
"...All right."   
  
" Great!" Dr. Campbell laid a firm hand on her shoulder and smiled. Sara backed out of the kitchen.  
  
" I'll unload the car."   
  
" Let me help you." Dr. Campbell followed Sara outside. Lori smiled at Patricia, walked her into the living room and up the stairs. " I'll show you the rooms you can stay in."  
  
Patricia looked at the two rows of doors and couldn't help wondering...Which room had been his?   
  
"One is kinda small." She pointed to a room at the end of a hall. " This one's about a normal room size." she opened a door next to a bathroom. Patricia walked down the hall and looked at the smaller room. A bed, a nightstand with a lamp, and a closet. " This one's fine for me." Sara would like the bigger room. Lori smiled again, playing good host. It would be nice to have people in the house other than Daddy. Not just people, but girls. Under the same roof. Suddenly, home life felt more comfortable. Of course, if they stayed here, Daddy would subtly slip them hypnocil every chance he got...  
  
Patricia looked out the window in her newly aquired room. It faced the backyard and had a large view of the sky. She smiled. It was better than Mother's house already. There, all she had was a view of the brickwall of the house next to them. Yes, a piece of sky was much better. Though incredibly grateful, she had to ask...Patricia stepped out of her room and faced Lori again.   
  
" Lori?"  
  
" Yes?"   
  
" Why did you invite us to stay? I'm not...ungrateful or anything, it's just that you barely know us. Certainly, I knew your father, but I haven't seen him in...atleast 12 years."   
  
Lori lost herself in thought. Why had she invited them to stay? The need for someone other than Daddy around? Moral values? Who knew. She shrugged.  
  
" I dunno. Something just...told me to ask you. Besides, it's better that you stay with us than you sleep in a car all night. Sprinwood isn't always a very safe place, you know?" Lori smiled again. Patricia smiled back.  
  
Good enough.  
  
" Trish!" Sara's voice yelled from downstairs. "Come down and get your suitcase! I gotta make a phone call!"   
  
  
-----------------  
Read & Review please!!   
  
  



	8. Gonna Stay up Late

Warning: Contains violent and graphic imagery.   
  
Chap. 8: Gonna Stay Up Late...  
  
  
  
" Jesus, Maggie...no wonder this room was so cheap." Tracy dragged her suitcase into a shabby, roach-infested, heavily neglected motel room. She threw her bag at the foot of one of the beds and looked around. Maggie trailed in behind her with her smaller suitcase. " Fuck, my Dad's apartment was kept better than this."   
  
" Well, I looked for 2 hours, Trace. It was this, or a cardboard box." Maggie dropped her bag by the second bed. Tracy checked out the bathroom.  
  
" The box wouldn't have an economy of molds growing up the walls."   
  
" No, it would just have one kind of mold, I guess." Maggie sat on the bed and sent a cloud of dust into the air. While she was coughing, Tracy's cell phone rang. She walked back over to her bed, sat down carefully, and answered it.  
  
" Yeah?"  
  
" Hey, Tracy? It's Sara from earlyer.You guys find a place or something? "  
  
" Hey! Yeah, we uh, found something all right. Total rat/roach trap, man. I wouldn't be suprised if I found something living in the toilet. What about you and your friend?"  
  
" Yeah, Trish hooked up with her dad's old doctor or something, and uh, he and his daughter invited us to stay here. Blows about the room. My condolences."  
  
" Yeah, thanks. You still up for a bite to eat?"  
  
" Actually, Dr. Campbell, the guy, is fixing us some lunch. Wanna make dinner plans?"  
  
In the back, Maggie switched on the television.  
  
" Hey, atleast this works. Ancient, but it works." Maggie manually changed channels.   
  
Tracy turned, looked, and then went back to the phone conversation.   
  
" Works for me, man. I think I lost my appetite after looking at that bathroom."   
  
" I can only imagine. You want to meet somewhere, or we can come and pick you guys up, or...?"  
  
" No, hey, we can swing around and get you guys. Just give us the adress." Tracy shouldered the phone and dug in her bag for pen and paper.  
  
" Uh, Okay, if you want. It's 1428 Elm Street."  
  
"...Wait, did you say Elm Street?..." Tracy's hand paused over her bag...Was she hearing things? It couldn't be...  
  
" Yeah, 1428 Elm Street. You need directions?"  
  
"..Uh..no, I think we an manage. What time do you--?"  
  
There was a load snapping sound in the background, followed by a fizzing and crackle of electricity. Maggie cried out.  
  
" SHIT!"  
  
Tracy jumped and twisted around. Maggie was fanning the smoking television. Sara's concerned voice came over the phone.   
  
" What the hell was that?"   
  
" Uh...the TV. Real great place we got here. It must have blown a circut or something. I should go help Maggie. Wanna say...6:00ish?"   
  
" Sounds like a plan. See you then."  
  
" See ya." Tracy ended the call and turned to Maggie. " Are you technology challenged or something?"   
  
" Hey, it's not my fault the damn thing decided to implode. What's the story? They find a place? Lunch or dinner."  
  
" Dinner, and yeah, they found a place. We're picking them up...About where they're staying; you won't believe the odds, man."   
  
" Why not? Where is it?"  
  
" The house. THE house."  
  
" 'The house'? What do you..." Then it dawned on her. " Oh. THAT house. Are you sure?"  
  
" 1428 Elm Street. Isn't that it?"  
  
" Yeah...wait, how are they staying in that dump?"  
  
" Well, apparently it isn't a dump anymore. They're staying with some guy and his daughter that have connections with Sara's friend."  
  
" Patricia. God...that's...just too weird."  
  
" No kidding. Well, we'd better get lunch ourselves. If we stay in here any longer, the mildew smell is gonna make me vomit."   
  
*** 6:00ish***  
  
The doorbell rang. Dr. Campbell left Sara and Patricia in the living room to answer it. Before he could reach the door, Lori came bounding down the stairs.  
  
" I GOT IT!!" She rushed infront of her father and opened the door. " Hey.."  
  
" Hey." A tall, short brown-haired young man stood smiling in the doorway, with his hands sheepishly in his pockets. Dr. Campbell walked to Lori's side and cleared his throat.  
  
" Uh...Good Evening, Dr. Campbell."  
  
" Good evening, Will."   
  
Lori lighty pushed her father out of the way and let Will inside. She led him to the living room. Patricia and Sara stood to greet them.   
  
" Guys, this is Will. My boyfriend. Will, this is Sara Glade and Patricia Tate. They'll be staying with us for a day or two."  
  
He shook both of Patricia and Sara's hands in friendship.  
  
" Pleased to meet you."  
  
" Same here." Patricia and Sara replied.   
  
" So this is the infamous Will then? During lunch, we didn't hear about anything else." Sara smiled. " You're going to Springwood CCC too?"  
  
" Yeah, I major in Mechanics and Repair. Are you going...?"  
  
" M-hm, Anatomy and Physiology for me. Patricia here is just along for the ride." Sara playfully nudged Patricia in the arm.   
  
" Patricia used to be a patient at Westin Hills too, Will." Lori looked at Patricia. She gave a small smile.  
  
" Oh really? What for?" Another quarantine victim probably.   
  
Patricia shook her head dismissively.   
  
" I wasn't in for very long. Just a month. I was 'emotionally unstable.' Moved away a long while ago. "   
  
Will nodded in acknowledgement. Only a month? No way she was in the dream ward. Well, even a month is long enough to understand the kind of place Westin is...Behind them, Lori's father murmered an "excuse me", and left. His footsteps were heard going up the stairs. Sara turned to Lori.   
  
"...What's wrong with him?"   
  
Lori sighed.  
  
" He...doesn't like Will very much."  
  
" He never has."   
  
There was an uncomfortable silence. Lori was the first to shake it off.   
  
"...Will, a friend of Sara's is taking her and Patricia to dinner, and she's invited us to come along. You up for it?"  
  
" Uh, sure. When are we--?"  
  
The doorbell rang again. Lori walked to the front door followed by Sara, Patricia and Will. She opened it and smiled in a welcoming way.  
  
" Hi, are you Sara's friends?"  
  
" Yeah, I'm Tracy, and this is Maggie." they both shook hands with Lori.   
  
" I'm Lori. Come on in."   
  
Maggie and Tracy stepped in and looked at the inside with a dazed expression.   
  
" Wow." Tracy muttered.  
  
" You said it."   
  
" Hey Tracy, Maggie." Sara smiled. Tracy smiled back.   
  
" Hey, Sara." She looked around at Will, Lori, and her eyes landed on Patricia. " Is this...?"  
  
" Oh, yeah, this is my friend Patricia. Trish, this is Tracy and Maggie."   
  
" Pleasure to meet you both." Patricia shook Tracy's hand and then Maggie's. She took a moment to look at her. The features of her face were so...familiar. Especially her eyes...  
  
" Pleasure's ours." Maggie smiled. So this was Patricia. A little weird at best. What was she staring at? There was something about her that sparked a memory but she just couldn't place her finger on it.   
  
" Hey, Trace, do you mind if Will and Lori come with us?"  
  
" 'Course not. We have room in the car for two more. " Tracy grinned.  
  
" Awesome. Well, lets get going."   
  
Lori grabbed her purse from the living room, opened the front door and called up the stairs.  
  
" We're leaving, Daddy! You sure you'll be all right by yourself?!"   
  
Dr. Campbell came to the top of the stairs.  
  
" I'll be fine, Lori. You kids go have a good time. Don't stay out too late, all right?"  
  
" All right."   
  
" Goodbye, Dr. Campbell." Will left very quickly.  
  
Tracy and Maggie gave Dr. Campbell a small curtious wave and walked out the front door. Patricia retrieved her sweater from the living room.   
  
" Night, Mr. Campbell!" Sara waved and followed Will out.  
  
" Night, Sara." he couldn't help but laugh at her. Too perky for her own good.   
  
" Good Night, Dr. Campbell. " Patricia gave him a small smile and walked out.  
  
" Good Night, Patricia." he smiled back. She was always so quiet. Lori darted up the stairs, gave her father a quick peck on the cheek, and walked back down.  
  
" Night, Daddy. Love you!"  
  
" Night, sweetheart. Love you too. Be careful, hear me?"  
  
" I will." Lori shut and locked the front door, and headed down the walkway.   
  
The group piled into Maggie's new model station wagon look-alike and headed off into town. After alot of arguing and fighting over whos' in the mood for what, they settled on a generic little restaurant on a street corner. Maggie parked across the street, and they headed over.   
  
" This place is pretty small." Will sighed.  
  
" I still say we should have gone chinese." Tracy grumbled.   
  
Once inside, they grabbed a table, ordered food, and got to know eachother. Hours passed by, and they sat with deserts and side dishes, oblivious to the world around them. They laughed, shared stories...  
  
"...Ok, ok ok, Keanu Reeves is cute, fine, but I can't sit and watch some guy that has less than 4 facial expressions for 3 movies, all right?" Tracy laughed, and took another bite of cheesecake.  
  
" I am completely out of this conversation." Will laughed and leaned back in his chair. Sara snickered and pointed her fork in Tracy's direction.  
  
" You can't talk about minimal facial expressions, Tracy. You like Orlando Bloom and he has 2. Possibly 3." Everyone laughed as Sara impersonated an Orlando LOTRs glance. Tracy pushed her.   
  
" Shut up, man. The guy can act, and if I'm crazy...well..I can't help it, he has a cute ass."  
  
Maggie stole a bite of cheesecake from Tracy and chuckled. " Call me old fashoned, but Mel Gibson has a cuter ass than Orlando. I'm not even sure you've ever really seen Orlando's ass anyway. " Patricia covered her mouth and laughed.   
  
" I have to agree with you, Maggie. Though he was certainly more attractive at 25 than 40."  
  
" That's true."   
  
" It's also true that he's closer to the two of you's age range." Lori laughed into her drink, and Sara, Will, and Tracy roared beside her. Maggie looked at Patricia and laughed quietly to herself. Patricia scoffed and quit poking around the mint leaf on her plate.  
  
" Oh, hah, very funny. I beat you by 7 years Lori, only 7. " Patricia nudged her playfully.   
  
" Yeah, Maggie beats me by 20." Tracy laughed and recieved a whack from Maggie.  
  
" Okay, okay, it's only 6." Tracy pushed Maggie off and attacked her cheesecake again. Patricia laughed again. Sara looked over at her looking pleased with herself.  
  
" I gotta say, I don't think I've ever seen Trish smile this much, let alone enjoy herself. Now, aren't you glad I made you come with me?"   
  
Patricia sighed and leaned back. She hadn't had this much fun in...years. Since childhood maybe. She smiled and nodded. What company there is here...hardly what she remembered. " It feels good to...get away from Mother."  
  
" Ooh, tough living with aging parents. She a control freak?" Maggie asked, picking up her drink.  
  
"...Well, in a sense, yes."   
  
Sara snorted.  
  
" Woman is a grade-A psycho."   
  
Tracy laughed.  
  
" That bad, huh?"   
  
" Worse sometimes." Patricia sighed. " Mother is...very demanding. Always has been, as far back as I can remember...even our years living here in Springwood."  
  
" You used to live here?" Maggie straightened herself, suddenly more interested. Beside her, Tracy did the same.  
  
" Mm-hm. I lived on Shadow Glen, a street over from Lori until I was 7 and my parents decided to divorce. You see, my...sister Stephanie had died two years before. She was 6 and I was 5. Because of heartache and...Mother's problems with me, they couldn't handle their marriage anymore."  
  
"...How did your sister die? If you don't mind me asking?"   
  
" Oh, I don't mind." Patricia responded rather plainly. She was dead. There was nothing to mind anymore...  
  
"She was murdered."   
  
A dull silence fell from Maggie, Tracy, Will and Lori. Child murder...It couldn't be, could it?   
  
" It wasn't...so dramatic. My father recieved custody of me, and we lived just outside the city. That's when I met Dr. Campbell. He was my father's GP. For a long while we were so happy together, but it died just as quickly. He was too busy to bother with me. Father was trying to sell the house, settle divorce agreements, and my little problems. He didn't have time...so, I was admitted into Westin Hills for emotional instability at 15." She laughed wryly to herself. "Dr. Campbell released me after a month, and Father killed himself that summer. So, I had to go back with Mother. We've never gotten along well. Heh, I thought that if...I left with Sara to come back here..Maybe I could start over again where I began. Run from the guilt, you know? Is that so stupid? My entire life, Mother has told me it's my fault that Stephanie and Father died. I believed her. Hell, I still believe her. And it...it wasn't just them. I lost a very..dear person." Patricia went quiet, rubbing the heel of her palm again. It had been her fault they died. Mother was always right, wasn't she? She had to be. Mother wouldn't lie...but neither would he. Patricia shook herself out of her daze before she could dwell on the past any futher. " I'm sorry, I'm rambling...I guess this happens when you're getting old." she laughed softly to herself.   
  
Everyone else let themselves relax a little. She seemed alot more concerned about someone she simply knew than the deaths of her own family. Maggie sipped from her drink. Yeah...just a little on the weird side. Tracy spoke up first.  
  
" Yeah, well, if you're getting old, Doc and Maggie must be ancient." Everyone laughed, and Maggie whacked her again.   
  
" Who's doc?" Sara asked, stealing a now cold fry from Patricia's dinner plate.   
  
" My therapist. Well, not really my therapist anymore, more like a brother figure. A really old brother figure. He helped Maggie through alot, too." Tracy smiled.  
  
" Yes, Tracy and I both happen to have Father issues." Maggie shook her head. Understatement of the century.   
  
" Don't we all." Lori snorted. " Looks like all of us have one or two."   
  
" Makes me glad I didn't know my dad." Will exhailed.  
  
" I didn't have any great problems with my father, or my parents in general really. Only thing that bugged me was them latching on too much. My mother tried to talk me out of comming to Springwood. It was so weird..." Sara muttered, prodding rice on her plate.  
  
" That is weird. Did they have a valid reason?" Lori frowned.   
  
" Something about stuff they'd heard...People dieing left and right; stories and rumors about a poltergeist, that's all. It's nothing. There was the "virus" thing I was told about, but it cleared up they said. Contained." Sara shrugged and leaned back in her chair. " You hear all kinds of creepy things about small towns like this..."   
  
The silence fell again...Maggie leaned back and chewed the inside of her lip.  
  
"...You certainly do."   
  
***10:50pm***  
  
Lori unlocked the front door as Sara, Will and Patricia were waving at Maggie's departing car. Once inside, Lori closed the door behind them and spotted Dr. Campbell sleeping on the couch. Lori tip-toed over and covered him with the blanket that was across the back of the couch. Sara and Patricia bid silent goodnights and headed upstairs. Lori turned the all the lights off, made sure that Dr. Campbell was sound asleep, took Will's hand and pull him upstairs with her. Patricia looked into the hallway to see Lori pull Will into her room. She half smiled and retreated into her room again. Young love...it was sweet. Though, it's funny comming from someone that's never had it before. She changed and climbed into bed. Never in a million years did Patricia think she would be sleeping in the house that belonged to Mr. Krueger. Not once. She stared at the ceiling and wondered what things would have been like if that boiler at his factory hadn't overheated like Mother said...If he had just stayed home. If he'd lived. She yawned. It was too late to go into this, and for the first time in years, she wanted to drift off into dreamland. Now for some well deserved sleep...  
  
***1:00am***  
  
Sccreeeeeee...  
  
Will sat straight up in Lori's bed and looked around. He was still in Lori's room. It was still night. He looked over at Lori. She was still sleeping. Will rubbed his temples, sighed, and cursed himself for freaking out. You'd think after 6 months of sneaking into Lori's room at night would be long enough to get over the Krueger scare. He was dead. Gone. Time to forget about the bastard. He looked over at Lori and was glad he hadn't woken her up because he was being stupid. Despite the fact that Freddy was gone, they both still took Hypnocil when they had the chance...she was probably smart enough to have taken some. Will stood and softly crept out of her room and into the bathroom. He opened the medicine cabinet, found two Hypnocil capsules left in the bottle, filled a glass of water, and headed back to Lori's room. He opened the door and imediately dropped the glass. It smashed on the wooden floor.  
  
Oh...dear God...  
  
There, nailed on Lori's back wall, was Mark. His best friend. Spread-eagled and bleeding. Lori was still sleeping in her bed, oblivious that she was almost drenched in blood. Mark's head lolled to the side and he stared at Will with empty accusing eyes.   
  
" You fuck head...You stupid shit. Why didn't you save me?! I needed your help, Will!! Now look at me!! I'M FUCKING DEAD!! WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME?!?" Mark's voice came choked and ruptured. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth as he screamed. " You had to go save that stupid BITCH WHORE LORI!!"   
  
Will backed out of the room, shaking his head over and over...he was sleeping...he had to be...Wake up, Will, Wake up!! Oh God...He felt his back hit the rail of the stairs. Mark's voice still yelled after him. Will turned and ran down the stairs. The house was suddenly old and corroded. The steps creaked and snapped under his feet, Will went tumbling down half the flight and straight into the front door with a loud THUNK. He sat up and nursed the back of his head and neck. Shit, that hurt...He stood and pressed his back against the front door, listening for any sign of movement.  
  
Footstep.  
  
Will looked around frantically. Where had it come from?!  
  
Footstep.  
  
Footstep.  
  
Downstairs. It had come from downstairs.   
  
Footstep.  
  
The basement stairs. Someone was comming up the basement stairs. Will knew he should run, try to get out the door, do SOMETHING...  
  
Footstep.  
  
Footstep.  
  
BUT WHAT?! He couldn't make himself move. It was so close now...oh, God, oh, God--" HELP SOMEBODY!! LORI!! WAKE ME UP!!! PLEASE!!!"   
  
...Silence.  
  
The footsteps had stopped at the top of the stairs. He watched the door like a hawk, waiting for it to open...waiting...Nothing. Nothing happened. It was quiet. Everything was quiet.   
  
...  
  
SHING  
  
" Hey, WILL!" A pair of burning blue eyes appeared beside him in the shadows. " Miss me?!"   
  
Will felt himself being thrown against the bottom of the stairs. His body ached so badly he could hardly get himself to move. Another body hovered over him with a malicious grin. He tipped his fedora back, stretched his red and green striped arms out by his side, and let Will get the full effect.   
  
" You look so shocked, Will. Aren'cha happy to see me?"   
  
" You--You're dead! Lori killed you! Jason--"  
  
" You really think that matchete toting retarded asshole and your little slut could have defeated me?! WRONG!!" Freddy lifted Will off the stairs and pinned him to the wall. He held him there and wagged his blades in his face. " Do you have any idea how many of you shit-heads have tried to kill me? Oh, let me count the ways!"   
  
Something latched ontoWill. He looked down and saw a rotting hand of a child protruding from the wall and grasping his forearm. He screamed.   
  
" First, The parents of this godforsaken town decided to burn me alive. How well did that turn out?! Then, someone moved into my house. The Thomsons. Nancy Thomson turned her back on me; tried to take away my power over her. The cold shoulder is a BITCH. "   
  
Two more hands grabbed onto his other arm and leg. Freddy let go of Will and leaned against the stair rail grinning.   
  
" Her mother wasn't as icy. After her, I took the new resident for a joyride. Jesse was fun to use while killing. Then of course, his little whore just HAD to confess her 'undieing love' to the turd. There's just something about that that makes my flesh crawl."   
  
Another hand dug it's nails into the top of Will's head causing droplets of blood to trickle down his face.   
  
" Once my house had been cleared out, I decided to finish what I started on Elm Street. All their children had to go. One of them, Kristen, could bring them all into her dreams. Like fish in a barrel. Of course, Nancy just had to show up again. The little piggie just couldn't STAY AWAY. She didn't live for too long, though..."   
  
A larger hand grabbed onto Will's neck and held him tight against the wall. He could feel all the other hands tightening their grip, nails piercing flesh...  
  
" In the end, they thought they could get rid of me too. WRONG AGAIN! Once I took Kristen, she gave her powers to someone else. Alice. Couldn't beat me on her own; She had to go find that whore mother of mine. Even her snot-nosed kid Jake thought he could beat me. Once Alice and Jakey boy were gone, There wasn't anything holding me back anymore. All the children became mine...every last one. I wanted more. I wanted this whole COUNTRY to fall under my hands!! But there was still a problem. I can't leave on my own. Thats' where my daughter Katherine comes in. And you know what that little bitch did? Invaded MY mind, and tried to kill ME. Her own FATHER. That's gratitude for you. Then, this fucking town forgot about me. Locked up and force-fed those pills to the ones that did remeber me. Well, I can't KILL if no one's AFRAID can I?! Jason could make 'em afraid, but the fucker couldn't stop! Because of YOU, your BIMBO Lori, and the Mama's boy, I had to START OVER! You keep trying to get rid of me... That's another thing, Will, all of you jackasses think you know more than me. You're superior. All I've found out is that every single one of you is full of BULLSHIT." Freddy leaned into Will again, his claws dangerously close to his face. " But you know what, Will? That's ok. My little girl is back again, and I even have a consolation prize along with her!"  
  
" We've beaten you once, you rat-bastard, we can beat you again." The hand around Will's throat was still getting tighter. " You won't win."   
  
" I won't, will I? Too bad you won't be around long enough to find out!" Freddy stretched his glove behind him for dramatic effect and grinned. Will watched the blades shimmer in the dim light. All at once, a wave of intense pain washed over him as Freddy's knives ripped the flesh of his stomach, spilling his intestines and blood. A familiar cackle filled his ears as he looked through the pain at his murderer. The last image he ever saw was a pair of firey blue eyes beneith a dirty brown hat, always mocking, always laughing, always there, even after everything else went black.   
  
  
**  
  
'Patricia.'  
  
Who's there?  
  
' Get up, Patricia.'  
  
Who's calling...  
  
SHING  
  
Patricia froze on her bed. There was something above her. In the dim light, she could see...a hand with thin lines protruding from the fingers. She had seen them somewhere before...like a memory from a dream...a low devilish voice hissed beside her.   
  
'Patricia...'   
  
  
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
Patricia sat straight up in bed and looked around. It was a dream. All a dream. Another shriek came from down the hall. It was Lori. Patricia jumped out of bed and darted to Lori's room. Sara was already there in the doorway, her mouth agape. Dr. Campbell was racing up the stairs. Lori came sobbing out of the door, clinging from person to person. She was covered in blood.   
  
" He's dead!! HE KILLED HIM!! HE'S DEAD!!" over and over, she sobbed and yelled. Dr. Campbell held her fast and demanded an explanation.  
  
" What happened, Lori? What's going on??"   
  
" WILL'S DEAD!! FREDDY KILLED HIM!! HE GOT HIM, DADDY!!! HE'S BACK!!"   
  
" What are you talking about?!" Dr. Campbell was dumbfounded. Sara pulled Patricia to the doorway.  
  
" Trish...I can't--just..look." Sara looked into the room again, only to turn away. Patricia looked in and almost screamed. There was Will, lieing on the bed, gutted like a fish. His innards were hanging out of his body and off the side of the bed. A truely gruesome sight. Patricia turned back to Lori, who had fallen into a crying mess on the ground. Dr. Campbell left her side to see her room. Patricia kneeled in front of her and brushed her hair away.  
  
" He's dead--I let him get Will...We thought he was dead!! He got Will, and he'll kill me next..."   
  
" Lori...what happened? Who did this?"   
  
" Freddy. He's back again..."   
  
" Freddy? What are you talking about--"  
  
Lori latched onto her arm and stared at her with pleading eyes. " KRUEGER. Freddy Krueger. Patricia...he might come after you next, or Sara..Don't go back to bed, for the love of God, don't fall asleep!"   
  
------  
Mwaha. Read and Review please!   
  
  
  



	9. Nine, Ten

rises from the dead...  
  
Chapter 9: Nine, Ten...  
  
Dr. Campbell ushered 3 very tired women into his house and locked the front door. After spending most of the night answering questions at a police station, everyone was too tired to speak, but too nerve racked to go to bed. Lori imediately headed into the kitchen and started making herself strong coffee. Patricia and Sara followed her. Coffee sounded really good right about now. At the station, Dr, Campbell had intervined with many inquiries the police had, but still, so many odd questions leaked through.  
  
-Have you seen anything in your dreams that scared or frightened you?-  
  
-Have you woken to find cuts or scrapes that weren't there when you fell asleep the night before?-  
  
So many more...  
  
Dr. Campbell trailed in after a few moments. Lori put out 3 mugs, and filled them with rich black coffee. She stood with the pot in one hand, disheveled and restless. She stared at him with accusatory eyes. Dr. Campbell had to look away.  
  
"...We've all had a really rough night." Dr. Campbell started out, taking the coffee pot from Lori. He filled a cup for himself. " We should all get some sleep. Don't worry yourselves to death. I'm sure..they'll catch the man that did this and bring him to quick justi--"   
  
" Oh, Daddy...shut up." Everyone looked at Lori. She laid her coffee cup onto the table with a shaking hand.. " Don't act like you cared about Will. You didn't. Don't fucking start with the 'they'll catch the guy' crap this time. YOU KNOW who did this, daddy. We both know, and they need to know the truth. "   
  
" Lori, please, you-you're just upset. Take some Hypno--"  
  
"STOP IT!! You can't do this again, Dad! Not to them!" Lori gestured wildly at Sara and Patricia."Will is dead because we weren't ready. Even if they do take hypnocil, they can still die. He found a way around it before, he can find a way around it again. Please, Daddy. Just tell them the truth. Tell them about Freddy Krueger."  
  
"...Krueger? Fred Krueger?" Patricia frowned and looked back and forth from father to daughter. What the hell were they talking about? He...he was dead. She spent months--years convincing herself that he was dead. Gone. A memory..." Please, can someone explain? What about Mr. Krue--...What about him?" Lori glared at her father, then turned a stern look to Patricia.  
  
" Freddy Krueger is a dream demon. He can kill people in their dreams. He has been for years here in Springwood, ever since he was burned alive--"  
  
" Lori, please, you'll scare them--i-it's not true--" Dr. Campbell tried to advance on Lori, but she jumped back, still highly unnerved.   
  
" IT IS TRUE!! HE'S REAL, DAD, AND HE KILLED MOTHER, MY FRIENDS AND WILL!!"   
  
" Dude, this is...this is just too much." Sara rubbed her head and temples. " Demons? I should have stayed in Denton."   
  
" No, Sara! Believe me! It's all real." Lori grabbed her arm and pleaded. Dr. Campbell tried to restrain her again.  
  
" Lori! Stop it! I know you're very upset, I know! You're tired! Go upstairs and--get some rest!"  
  
" NO!! He'll come after them! AFTER ME!!" Lori forced herself away from her father and to the kitchen doorway. "God...tell them the truth, daddy...they have to know he's here. He's back again...he is.." she picked up her mug and left. The kitchen fell silent.   
  
Patricia turned to Dr. Campbell.  
  
"...Dr. Campbell, what--?"   
  
" You...two ladies should get up to bed." He slid his coffee mug across the counter.   
  
" From what Lori just said, sleep doesn't sound too appealing." Sara took a long swig from her coffee mug. Patricia pushed her's away.   
  
" Dr. Campbell, please...about Fred Krueger; is he--?"  
  
"It's been a long night, and you need some rest." Dr. Campbell started looking through a cabinet. Patricia stood.  
  
" Dr. Campbell, I have to know--"  
  
" This is called Hypnocil." He showed them a bottle. " It will help you sleep if you--"  
  
" Dr. Campbell--"  
  
" --If you have any problems sleeping at all. Take one capsule in the morning and one in the evening--"  
  
" DR. CAMPBELL!!" Patricia slammed her palms onto the kitchen table, causing Dr. Campbell and Sara to jump. There was also an uneasiness to Patricia's voice that had never been there before. Dr. Campbell turned to face her.   
  
" Dr. Campbell...tell me the truth. What does she mean by 'he's back'?...Does he live? What is all this about 'dream demons'? Does Fred Krueger still...?" Dr. Campbell looked down. Patricia stared on, desperate for answers...Was he dead or alive? She had to know. " Please, Dr. Campbell...I -need- to know!"   
  
He looked at her then, eyes full of remorse and indecisiveness. Finally, he filled his coffee mug to the brim and took a seat. Patricia sat as well. Dr. Campbell set the Hypnocil in the middle of the table.  
  
" I should probably make more coffee...this is a very long bedtime story."   
  
" Christ...I hate hotel room showers. They're either way too light, or they bruise your back." Tracy walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. She quickly dressed and searched for a tooth brush.  
  
" Atleast the front desk gave us another TV..." Maggie flipped through channels on their 10'' screen, trying to find the news. Tracy scoffed.  
  
" Yeah, one that's tiny as hell."   
  
" Hey, it's still a TV. What are you doing? I thought you already brushed your teeth?"  
  
" I did. After tasting that water, I need another go-around." Tracy vigorously brushed her teeth, and Maggie went on channel surfing. She finally came across the KRGR news. A male anchor shuffled papers at his desk.   
  
"...And more on that story at 9. In other news, another teen death has shaken Springwood." The screen switched to a two story house with a red door, surrounded by police, and blinking lights.   
  
" Oh my God...Tracy!! Come look!"   
  
Tracy walked to Maggie, looked at the screen, and imediately dropped her toothbrush.   
  
" 21 year old Will Rollans was found dead last night at 1428 Elm Street in the bedroom of his girlfriend, Lori Campbell. The suspect is unknown, and the residents of the house have been questioned. There is no clue to why the murder was commited. More at 9."   
  
"...Will...oh God." Tracy sat down on the bed in a daze. " It has to be him...it's gotta be--"  
  
" How do we know that? We can't jump to conclusions!" Maggie shut off the televison and started pacing. She took the hotel phone and punched in a number.  
" Ok...I'm calling Doc. You get Sara on the phone, see if we can come over."  
  
" Poor Lori...she must be taking this really hard." Tracy grabbed her phone off the dresser and dialed.   
  
"...and when they came back, they told me Freddy was gone. She had decapitated him. He was dead. Naturally, we all thought that was the end of it..."  
  
" But it wasn't." Patricia finished her third cup of coffee. This bedtime story was really getting hard to swallow. It was...horrible what he's done, and frightening if their story was true...but she couldn't help feeling glad. Really glad. Mr. Krueger...he was still alive.   
  
" I just...can't understand it. What's his motive to kill all of these people? What on Elm Street could have provoked him to just kill those selected children and teens?" Sara tapped her nails on the side of her mug. " I just don't get it."   
  
" Well...there is a factor in the way he died." Dr. Campbell sighed. He would have to tell them what they did.  
  
" The way he died?...A boiler exploding is hardly an incentive to start killing teenagers on his street. He would have killed the people at his work place first for faulty equipment..." Patricia rubbed her temples. That didn't make any sense...  
  
" He didn't die that way."  
  
Patricia's head shot up.  
  
" What?"  
  
" He didn't die that way. He didn't die in an explosion." Dr. Campbell poured himself another cup of coffee.  
  
"...then...how did--?"  
  
" It was wrong of them. It really was. They were just...outraged by the fact he had been set free. People can do...horrible things in anger."   
  
"...Dr. Campbell, how did Fred Krueger die?"  
  
" They--"   
  
Sara's phone rang. She answered it. Patricia and Dr. Campbell silenced themselves.   
  
" Hello?"  
  
" Sara? Oh man..."  
  
" Hey, Trace."  
  
"Maggie and I saw everything on the news...is everyone else all right?"   
  
" Yeah...in a matter of speaking. We're all right."  
  
" How's Lori?"  
  
" She's...not so hot."   
  
"Do you think Maggie and I could come over?"  
  
" Uh..." she turned to Dr. Campbell and shrugged. " Yeah, come on over. Misery likes company." Sara looked at Patricia who nodded.   
  
Ain't it the truth?  
  
" Great. We'll be there in 20, ok?"  
  
" Ok. See you when you get here."  
  
" Bye."  
  
" Bye." Sara hung up her phone and turned. " They'll be here in 20 minutes or so."  
  
"...We'll continue this conversation later, all right?" Dr. Campbell stood and walked out of the kitchen. Patricia sighed and leaned back into her chair. She wanted to know how Mr. Krueger really died, but she was too tired to protest. It had been a long night, and because of all the coffee, she couldn't possibly get any sleep.   
  
Sara sat next to her.  
  
" You believe any of this?"  
  
"...I don't know. I could, I suppose. It's...possible." Patricia recalled the gleaming blades hung above her head last night...Yes, it was very plausible.   
  
The doorbell rang. Lori came downstairs and answered it.   
  
"..Hey." she stepped aside for Maggie and Tracy to come in.   
  
" How're you holding up, Lori?..." Maggie asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"..I'm..ok...I guess." Lori sniffed. her eyes were still red from crying. " It's...still kind of hard to belive he's..." Lori wiped her eyes again. Maggie pulled her into a warm hug.  
  
" We're so sorry, Lori..."   
  
" Thanks for comming, guys..." Lori gave Tracy a hug. " Come into the kitchen. We've got to talk about something..."   
  
Dr. Campbell fixed tea instead of coffee. Maggie, Tracy, and Lori took a seat. Patricia and Sara stood by the counter.  
  
" Do you guys have any idea who did this?" Maggie asked, sipping tea.  
  
"...No. Not a clue." Lori answered.  
  
"...how did it happen?"  
  
" We don't know. Lori just woke up and he was laying there, dead." Dr. Campbell drank his tea.  
  
" He was...killed while he was sleeping?"  
  
" Apparently..." Lori muttered...what kind of question is that? Dur, of course he was--...she looked up at Maggie. No..it just had to have been a stupid question. Couldn't it? "Why."  
  
Maggie and Tracy glanced at eachother. Maggie began.  
  
"...Uh...we--"  
  
" Look, we're going to sound crazy, but we have an idea about the killer." Tracy cut in, knowing Maggie would beat around the bush for hours. " Have you been having nightmares? Really bad nightmares?"   
  
" What do you--" Sara began. Maggie interupted.  
  
" Have you seen anyone? Like a...man with...burns and--"  
  
" A striped red and green sweater..." Lori finished.  
  
"...A dirty brown hat..."  
  
" Yes. We've seen him. Fred Krueger."   
  
"...That's right. How do you--?"  
  
" I think we need to share some information." Dr. Campbell poured everyone another round of tea. This bedtime story just got even more interesting.  
  
Hours had gone by. Maggie and Tracy told their story, easily leaving out the detail about Maggie's past. That didn't need to be said. The time was 12:53pm, and everyone was too nerve racked to do anything.  
  
"...so there have been numerous attempts to kill him?" Lori sighed.  
  
" Apparently, yes. There have." Maggie started biting at her nails. Patricia slipped out of the kitchen. Too much in one sitting. Christ...how many times did he have to die?  
  
" This is just too weird...it's almost like we were drawn here. Together." Tracy looked from Lori to Maggie. " All of us have some kind of connection with that bastard."   
  
"...You're right. It's like we were meant to meet eachother." Lori leaned back. " Tracy and Maggie were the last ones to kill him...Will and I killed him before.." she noticed Patricia's absence. " What about Trish? Why was she brought here?"   
  
" Wasn't her sister...killed by the guy?" Sara piped up, looking into the living room. Patricia had turned on the television.   
  
" That's right." Dr. Campbell nodded. " In fact, her sister's was the last murder he commited while still alive. Right in their own home"  
  
" Maybe he's...going to finish the job? He didn't get the chance to kill Trish?" Lori shrugged.  
  
" That I don't understand...In court, she testified in his defence."  
  
" His defence?? Why?"  
  
" Weird..." Tracy breathed. " Well, whatever the reason she's here...He's more than likely gonna try to kill her too."  
  
" What are we going to do? Not sleep? No thanks, man..." Sara downed the rest of her tea. " I'm no cafine addict."  
  
" You don't have to be, Sara." Dr. Campbell pointed to a bottle on the kitchen table. " This is Hypnocil. It's a dream suppressant. If you have to sleep, take two of these. You won't dream, I guarantee it."   
  
" What makes you so sure?" Tracy picked up the bottle and read the label.  
  
" I proscribe it to my patients at Westin Hills psychiactric hospital. None of them have had dreams since they came into my care."   
  
" If you say so. By the way, a friend of ours is comming to town. He helped us beat Freddy last time. His name is Doc. He's a dream therapist." Maggie took the bottle from Tracy and looked it over. Never seen this stuff before. Dr. Campbell nodded.  
  
" He's welcome. We need all the help we can get..."   
  
" Hey! Hey!!" Patricia's panicked voice snapped them all to attention. Everyone piled out of the kitchen and into the livingroom. Maggie was the first there.  
  
" What is it? What's wrong?"   
  
" Look." Patricia pointed at the television screen. The same anchor from that morning was making another report.  
  
"...were found dead on campus. Springwood officials have now identified the victims: Ted Shawn, Tiffany Gredain, Herald Shaffnon, Nora Sheilds..."   
  
" All of them at the college. 7 students...all died in their sleep." Patricia looked up at Maggie. " He's going after everyone."   
  
" We can't hand out Hypnocil to the whole town...we're screwed." Tracy sat on the couch next to Patricia.  
  
" No. We have to find a way to beat him. For good. We have to, or...we are screwed."   
  
Everyone watched the televison screen, grim and wide awake. Patricia rubbed the scar on her palm.   
  
Mr. Krueger...what's happened to you?...  
  
----------  
  
Short chapter, and no on-screen dieing. I apologize, my good readers. Chapter ten will have blood.  
  
Read and review please!   
  
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!  



	10. Never Sleep Again

  
Chapter 10: Never sleep again.  
  
As the day dwindled on, the party of six dispersed. Maggie left to meet Doc; Sara, Tracy, and Lori decided it was best to go to school for the sake of it being the first day(they could also get their minds off death, despite the 7 that had occured at the school), and Patricia and Dr. Campbell went out to a late lunch. 2:30, starving and sleepless kind of late. Most of their time was spent in silence. Patricia chewed on a french fry. Her mind was buzzing with questions...She couldn't stop thinking about him. Had that been him taunting her with his blades? Had to have been. It couldn't have been a coincidence; 8 different people dieing on the same night. That meant...he was still here. He had been right there, hanging over her bed. The last time she saw him...mother had been pulling her out of the court room. He had turned and looked at her. That was the last time...the very last. The moment when he had smiled at her from his table; that meant more. Her throat felt tight. Jesus...That day, he lost his daughter, and almost lost his freedom. Patricia frowned. His daughter. She had almost forgotten about her. She should be around her own age now, atleast...Where was she?  
  
" Doctor Campbell, do you know what happened to his daughter?"   
  
Dr. Campbell looked up at her from his BLT. He swallowed.   
  
" The truth is, I really don't know. She was put into the Springwood orphanage, and that was the end of it. Since the town was rennovated, they rebuilt the orphanage on the other side of town. I think the old building is still there..."  
  
" Do you know if they moved the records or anything?"  
  
" I doubt it. Springwood was almost completely empty...no children. There wasn't any point to checking records of people who're dead." Dr. Campbell returned to his BLT. Patricia nibbled and picked at her food. If she wasn't already dead, maybe she could find some information on Mr. Krueger's child after all...Patricia finished her food quickly, paid her share, and took off. It's always best to get to things as quick as you can.   
  
Lori walked across campus, watching police cars retreating down the streets, and crowds dispersing from the dorms. She couldn't help feeling a little guilty. She hadn't killed him. He was still around, and killing. He got Will...she let that son-of-a-bitch get to Will. She couldn't let that thing get to her new friends. They all had to work together. Lori sat on a bench. Had he purposely brought them all together? If so, who was he planning on taking out next? Tracy? Maggie? Herself? Sara's just a consolation prize; she didn't have anything to do with this. What about Patricia? Lori gnawed on a piece of gum. Ok, what does she know about her. Patricia used to live here, and her sister was the last child killed by Krueger when he was still living. That still didn't explain why she had been gathered with the rest of them. Maybe his target was originally Patricia and he had to settle for her sister? Maybe he planned to kill them both? Maybe...she was some sort an accomplice? No, that doesn't make any sense. Trish said herself that she was barely five when it happened. Still...when she spoke about her sister's murder, she wasn't exactly choked up. She stretched and checked her watch. She had skipped lunch. Shit. Lori stood, shouldered her bag, and walked on, eyes fixed on the concrete. Will used to come and meet her for lunch. They'd go to the diner, a little ways out of town sometimes, or back to her house. It was heaven. She almost expected him to come running across campus, calling, " Hey Lor! Ready to go eat?" Almost. She felt tears stinging her eyes again. Damnit, she can't walk into class like this. Lori had to keep herself together. Set on walking, not really paying attention, she failed to notice a door swinging open infront of her.  
  
SMACK!!  
  
" Oh, Jesus, I'm so sorry!!" a highly concerned voice came from the culpret with the door. Lori sat up, and held her throbbing forehead. Fuck. What else had to happen today, huh? She felt two people lifting her to her feet.   
  
" I'm so so sorry, I really am. Are you all right?" It was a guy. Some stupid clumsy guy. Not that she had been anymore graceful.   
  
" Yeah, I'm fine." Lori muttered, glaring at the sound of his voice. Yeah, she was sorry too. Sorry he hadn't killed her. She looked up at him. He's pretty cute for a stupid clumsy guy.  
  
" You sure? I'm really sorry. Here, let me help you." He bent down and gathered her folders and sheets of paper. " It was my fault." He stood, handed her the folders, and extended his hand in friendship. " My name is Jacob. Jacob Daniels."   
  
Hesitantly, Lori accepted.  
  
" Lori." Atleast he was nice about it.  
  
" Sorry again about the door."   
  
" It's no problem."   
  
Patricia pulled out another file drawer. The orphange had long been abandoned, and seeing there was no other way in, she had to break through one of the boarded windows. Painful, but effective. Once inside, she couldn't help but be frightened by the emptiness. Discarded toys lay in pieces, walls collapsing in on one another, wall-paper peeling in long strips, a simply depressing sight. As she waded through the dust-ridden place, it was hard to imagine that these walls once sheltered a hord of laughing children. After finding the front office, she went through file cabinet after file cabinet, looking through children's records, but no such luck. The mildew smell was starting to get to her when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned and looked for any sign of life. She was sure she saw something...  
  
" Is anyone there? Hello??"  
  
Rattle.  
  
Rustle, rustle...  
  
Clang.  
  
" Hello? I'm sorry to intrude, but I just need some answers." She looked outside the door and saw another door creak open. " Hello? Hello??" Taking her life in her hands, he swung the door open and--  
  
" SCREECH!"  
  
" AHH!!"  
  
Six rats flew out past her feet, taking shelter under the clutter in the building. Patricia leaned in the doorway. Rats. Nice place. She looked into the room and spotted 3 more file cabinets, one labled AUTHORITY ONLY. Taking care in not putting her foot in a crevice, she made her way to the back of the storage room. Yanking open a drawer, she read the file names...None of them were in alphabetical order. This was going to take forever.   
  
URIAS  
  
HOLLEY  
  
ETHERMAN  
  
FREIDMAN  
  
ENGLUND  
  
LIPPOWITZ  
  
ESPINOSA  
  
EDWARDS  
  
STONE  
  
TURNIPSEED...  
  
"Hey there, you."  
  
" Hello. I'm driving from the airport, Maggie." Doc smiled at the sound of her voice. Thank God she was safe. Doc had flown in from Florida. He was there for an intervew for a new job. After the flight, he was feeling pretty damn drowsy...  
  
" Glad to hear it. Tracy's at school with Lori and Sara, and like I told you, we're on that Hypnocil stuff. I'll show it to you when you get here."  
  
" Can you really trust this guy, Mag?"  
  
" Dr. Campbell? He seems pretty trustworthy, yeah. A little spastic, but trustworthy. The one I'm mostly wondering about is--"  
  
" Patricia. I know, you've told me 4 times. I don't understand why she seems so peculiar to you."  
  
" Tsk, I dunno, Doc. You have to meet this girl. Introverted, shy, a little on the oddball side. When we first met, she looked afraid to be around us; like she didn't want to be touched. Alot like Tracy, but not as violent. She has this air about her like a shivering animal; the kind like a kid that's subject to abuse. Leaving my professional boundries, she creeps me out a little."   
  
" I'll check her out, Mag. Who knows, maybe she -was- abused. Give her some time, huh?" A red truck pulled over in front of him. Assholes.   
  
" I guess...there is one thing, though."  
  
" What?" He changed lanes, and felt his eyelids drooping. Goddamn planes.  
  
" When we were telling her about Krueger, she didn't seem horrified, but...she had a strange calmness about her. Dr. Campbell told me she spoke in Freddy's defense at his trial. She was, oh, I don't know, 5 maybe at the time. The fucker killed her sister for godsake, wouldn't you think she's be the slightest bit scared? Or outraged?"  
  
" That is a little odd." The same truck cut him off again. Goddamn trucks.  
  
" Tell me about it. She's a little weird, Doc. I think we should be careful around her."   
  
" DAMN!"  
  
" What?! What is it??"  
  
" This goddamn truck keeps cutting me off when I try to change lanes. Hey, lemmie call you back, Mag. All right?"  
  
" All right. Bye."  
  
" Bye." Doc tossed his cell phone into the seat next to him, and prepared to change lanes again. Jesus, this guy was getting on his nerves...FUCKER! He cut him off again! Doc swerved back into the other lane, feeling really tired, and really agitated. He yawned deeply. Doc pulled up beside the truck and rolled down his window.  
  
" What the hell is wrong with you, man?! You almost crashed into me 3 times!!"   
  
The truck's window rolled down.  
  
" Whatzamatta, Doc..." A brown dirty fedora bearing the logo "KEEP ON TRUCKIN'" came through the window. It's wearer, burned and grinning.   
"Got Road Rage?!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"   
  
Doc took one look, turned, and stepped on the gas. Shit. SHIT. Freddy's horrible laughing echoed in his ears as he sped away. He had to wake himself up. Doc clamped his eyes shut. Concentrate...concentrate. C'mon, Doc, focus!   
  
" Hey, lacky!"   
  
Doc's eyes shot open. His rental car had suddenly become a limo. Doc looked at his clothing and found himself in a black suit and driver's hat. He turned and looked behind him. There Freddy sat, sporting a tux, and drinking maggot infested wine. He cocked his head and raised his glass.   
  
" Once around the park, James! HAHAHAHA!!"   
  
Doc scrambled to get his seatbelt off but it wouldn't budge. He tried the pedals but they wouldn't move either. Desperate, Doc gripped the steering wheel and tried to move it somehow. The wheel itself melted onto his hands, and held him fast.   
  
" YOU BASTARD!! Let me out!! LET ME OUT!!"   
  
" Now, now, that's no way to talk to your employer, Doc." Freddy leaned up and smirked at Doc's frantic strugglings. " It's never good to fall asleep at the wheel Doc, so...I guess you're fucked!"  
  
The car took a violent turn and headed straight for a very deep revine.   
  
" You really thought you killed me, didn't you? HAH! Isn't this a kick in the balls. Just one more thing, Doc. I promise to take good care of Katherine. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"   
  
Freddy dissapeared, but his cruel laughter stayed at full intensity. Doc tried as hard as he could to pull his hands out, but it was no use. The car flew off the edge of the revine, and plummeted into a fiery explosion.   
  
"IDEMAN, GEROD, BROOKS..."  
  
A 2 hours had gone by, and Patricia was on the last file drawer. It seemed completely hopless. Maybe it wasn't even this orphanage. " FIEDLIE, LIDMAN..." This was taking too much time, and she was getting tired..." FABIAN, ROBERTS..." She should just go before she falls asleep in this dismal place. Her mind shot back to the image of those knives..." GIBSON, KRUEGER..." Gleaming in the moonlight...ready to-- She skipped back and lifted a file from the drawer. " Krueger."   
  
Bingo.  
  
" You used to live here?" Lori clipped her seatbelt into place as Jacob started his car. For almost killing her with the door, he offered to drive her home after her classes were over. Hey, it was better than walking. Jacob pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
" Yeah, my mom and I did. We moved out when that crazy disease was spreading around town. After I graduated, I got 4 scholarships from SCCC, so I decided to come here. They have a really good theatre program."  
  
" Is that what you're majoring in?"  
  
" Yep. Light and technical design's my thing. How about you?"  
  
" Education. I really like teaching kids."  
  
" That's neat. I like kids myself. "   
  
A silence settled itself in. Lori kept herself still, not sure how to move around in this guys car. Papers, books, cards strewn about, no real sense of organization. He reminded her of Will. She looked over at him and frowned. In fact, he was alot like Will. Jacob tapped his fingers on the steering wheel like Will, chewed his tounge like Will, apologized like a maniac like Will...but he wasn't Will. She turned her attention back out the window. She was simply depressing herself.   
  
Jacob watched Lori out of the corner of his eye. She was pretty cute, but her red hair reminded him too much of Mom. She was hardly anything like her, though. She seemed really bitter, where as Mom was always really sunshiney. Odd. She tried her damndest to convince him not to come here, but it was the place that gave him the most money. He was only sad that she refused to visit him. There was somthing about Springwood that really got to her.   
  
Something caught Lori's eye.   
  
" What the--"  
  
Jacob looked at Lori.   
  
" What is it?"  
  
" Stop for a second-- Patricia!!"   
  
Patricia stopped walking and turned her head. It was Trish all right, and she was holding a folder. Lori waved her over.   
  
" What are you doing out? I thought you might be back at home."  
  
" I was...but I needed to find something." Patricia held up the folder reading the name "KRUEGER" and Lori's jaw dropped.  
  
" What did you find?" Lori dropped her voice.  
  
" Information on his daughter." Patricia hushed her own. Lori looked at the folder, then at Trish. Ba-damn.   
  
" Uh...Lori?" Jacob's voice caught both their attention. Lori leaned back into the car and gestured to Patricia.  
  
" Sorry Jacob. This is Trish; Trish this is Jacob."  
  
" Hello" Patricia's voice was small.  
  
" Hi there."   
  
"He's giving me a ride home. You want a lift?"   
  
Patricia shook her head.   
  
" I'm going to meet Sara at the school."  
  
" Well, I don't mind swinging back around. It's better than you walking." Jacob piped in again and smiled at her. Sheesh, she's really...mouse-ish.   
  
" It's all right--"  
  
" Hop in, Trish. It not a problem." Jacob smiled again. Just get in the car so it doesn't take up any more time. Lori smiled at Patricia, and Patricia got into the car. Jacob turned around and headed back to the school.   
  
" Are you sure you don't want to head home yet, Sara?" Kenneth, a TA, and new-found friend of Sara's, piled books onto her metal plated desk in the anatomy lab. "It's nearly 7, and the professer left at 6. It's your first day, you know. Don't want to start burning out yet."  
  
Sara smiled.  
  
" Thanks Ken, but the internship application deadline is half a month from now, and it really doesn't hurt to get a head start on studies, you know?"   
  
" If you say so, Sara. Wow..." He leafed through a rather graphic book of autopsies. " You really want to be in a morge your whole life?"  
  
" A good portion of it, sure. Crime investigators get paid pretty well." Sara said, opening another book.   
  
" If you say so, Sara. Goodnight!" he said, and slipped out the door.  
  
" Night, Ken." Sara called after him, and dove into the book.   
  
" So do you two girls live close or something?" He asked, making one last attempt at small talk. The last three tries ended in uncomfortable silence.   
  
" No, actually, she's staying with me."   
  
"Only for a couple days." Patricia stated, looking through the file for the 50th time since she'd found it. She had almost memorized the contents.  
  
Date: October 7th, 1967  
  
Name: Katherine Krueger  
D.O.B: June 15th, 1962  
Sex: female  
Age: 5  
Race: Caucasian  
  
Mother: Lorretta Johnson-Krueger (Deceased)  
DOB: March,1943  
Sex: female  
Age: 24  
Race: Caucasian.   
  
Father: Fred Charles Krueger (Deceased)   
D.O.B: breeched September, 1938  
Sex: male  
Age: 29  
Race: Caucasian  
  
Fred Krueger accused of murder and is subsiquently labeled as unfit to raise the child. Loretta Krueger went missing September 1967. Katherine Krueger suffers from heavy interest in solitary activity, and leans away from normal young social tendencies. The child is very introverted, and also strays from usual solitary activities such as reading, writing, and media. Her avoidance of normal interests may have a negative effect on adolescent additudes or ideals. She often speaks of her mother and father, and almost seems to refuse to believe the fact that they are both dead. Under observation, the child showed signs of abnormal sleep patterns including sleeptalking, thrashing, nightmares, and bedwetting.   
  
Suggested Actions: insure adequate sleep and a normal schedual, make the environment as safe as possible to avoid accidental injury, consideration for counseling for social exilation as with extended thrashing, if medication is used, it should be viewed as a temporary solution used mainly for protection.   
  
Adoptive Parents:   
  
Ray Borroughs  
Sex: male  
Age: 34  
Race: Caucasian  
  
Samantha Borroughs  
Sex: female  
Age: 32  
Race: Caucasian  
  
Request for legal name change, see form attatched to this page.  
  
Then there wasn't anything else. The paper that had been attatched to it had been ripped off, so Patricia had no idea if they kept her real name or not. Oh well. It was still a lead, either way.   
  
SLAM.  
  
Sara shot straight up off her desk and looked around. Someone must have slammed a door in the hallway. No biggy.   
  
" God..." Sara yawned and checked her watch.   
  
7:45.   
  
How long had she been sleeping? She looked down at the book. The same page stared at her in the face. Fuck. Those Campbell people have really gotten her spooked about all this dream demon bullshit. Stretching, she looked around the lab, notcing a few overhead lights had gone out. Odd. There was also an operating table pulled out and covered with a white sheet. Very odd. She looked around the lab for anyone else. No one. She stood and walked over to the table. Beside it was a cart with grisly opperating tools glittering in the dim light. The only thing missing was the cadaver. Someone had gotten these ready for a disection, but who? And where were they? What the hell...  
  
" Hello? Is anyone out there?" Sara opened the door to the lab and gazed out into the hallway. Nothing.   
  
" Hellooo??" she called one last time, gave up. No biggy. The professor probably did it before he left for a demonstration in the morning. Sara retreated back into the lab, but suddenly felt herself off the ground, like she was suspending. She felt stiff cool cloth on her skin, and freezing cold metal on her back. A light bleached out her vision as she tried to look around and sit up. Then, the creeping, unsettling realization set in.   
  
Oh, God. I can't move!!  
  
Over and over again, she willed her body to move an arm, a finger, anything, but to no avail. She just laid there, limp. The door opened and closed beside her, and a rush of excited voices crowded in. She saw men crowding around her table speaking in murmers, shadowed in the blinding light above her head. Then, one man pushed his way to the front and silenced the others.   
  
" Now then, students. This is her file:   
  
Name: Sara Glade  
Age: 20  
Sex: Female  
DOB: January 12th, 1984.  
Date of Death: August 16th, 2004."  
  
OH, JESUS H. CHRIST!! They think I'm dead!! Desperately, she tried to make anything move. Her eyes, her mouth, her throat, her tounge, anything. Anything just to prove she was alive.   
  
"This is your final examination: Determine the cause of death." The doctor raised a scalpel against the light over her chest. Then, the single knife turned into two. Then three. Then four. Sara watched in horror as they lowered to her chest, and the doctor leaned his head into the way of the light. A pair of icy blue eyes encased in gooey blistered flesh laughed down at her.   
  
" Lets get to carving, eh, Sara?"   
  
Then he broke into the most terrible laughing sound she had ever heard.   
  
-------------  
Read and review please!   
  



	11. A Belated Reunion

  
Chap. 11: A Belated Reunion.   
  
" I can't imagine where she could be.." Patricia muttered, nervously wringing her hands. 8:15. Where was Sara? She should have been out to meet her atleast 10 minutes ago.   
  
"Maybe she got hung up with a teacher or something." Lori watched the front doors, trying to catch a glimpse of blonde hair. Almost everyone was gone. The parking lot was near desolate.   
  
" Maybe she fell asleep." Jacob sighed. This was taking forever...  
  
Lori turned a worried look to Patricia who started rubbing the scar on her palm. Lets hope not.   
  
"...I'm going to go look for her. " Patricia got out of the car and headed into the school.  
  
" Be careful!" Lori called after her. Of what? She wasn't sure. If Patricia didn't come back soon, she was going to go in herself.   
  
Jacob sunk into the driver's seat. What a creepy girl. Christ. He regretted asking Trish into the car.   
  
------  
  
Patricia wandered down the halls. Sara had mentioned something about a lab, but she didn't know where it was. Most of the hall lights were out, and the classrooms were all empty. Not a soul passed her. She wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to God that Sara hadn't fallen asleep. She wasn't completely sure if she believed in the dream demon stuff, but...8 deaths is just too much. Sara could die too, and Patricia didn't know how she'd be able to handle it. Sara had been her only friend. Sure she had a few now, but...Sara had saved her. Took her away from mother and brought her back here to Springwood. Another loss like that and...she'd have nothing left. Patricia's hand wandered across her brow until she felt the leathery skin of the scar on her temple. Mr. Krueger's death nearly killed her, and Father's left so much guilt...  
  
There was someone down the hall. A man carrying a stack of books. Patricia quickened her pace and caught up with him.   
  
" Excuse me?..Um...I'm looking for...a girl named Sara Glade? Have you seen her?"  
  
" Sara? Oh, yeah! She's in the anatomy lab, I'll take ya." The man adjusted the stack of books and smiled.  
  
" Oh, no, It's..all right if you could just tell me where it is."   
  
" It's just down this hall, it's no problem." the man turned and walked. Patricia silently followed. " My name's Kenneth. You go here?"  
  
" ...Patricia. No, I'm just a friend of Sara's."   
  
" Oh, you're Patricia? Sara told me about you, yeah. Pleased to meet you."   
  
Patricia merely nodded. She wanted to get Sara and get out...Patricia never felt comfortable with people she'd just met. With Sara around, everything felt strangely comfortable, even when she was still living with Mother. Kenneth stopped at a door.   
  
" She's in there...real over-achiever, huh?"  
  
Patricia smiled at the thought.  
  
"...Something like that. Thanks." Patricia pulled open the door and looked in. Half the lights were out. She stepped in, looking around. "Sara? Sara, are you there?"   
  
" Isn't she in there?" Kenneth stepped in behind her.   
  
" I don't see her..." A dripping sound caught her attention. Kenneth laid his books down on a table and called for Sara. Patricia followed the sound to the other side of the lab, where the lights were out. She couldn't see...where was that dripping coming from?  
  
" Sara..?"  
  
" Can't see a damn thing in here...who turned out the lights?" Kenneth flipped a few switches on the wall.   
  
Patricia's throat tightened, her mouth went dry, and she felt incredibly numb...  
  
Sara laid on the table she had been working on, face up, and gutted. Her organs had been pulled and sliced from her body, and tossed unceremoniously onto the floor. Her eyes were wide open, and glazed in white. Pure terror was etched into her features, almost as if someone had carved them out of stone.   
  
Patricia couldn't see. She was dreaming. Some awful dream that she'd wake up from...This wasn't real. Sara..she...she was still alive...it wasn't true..it wasn't...Sara...SARA...  
  
A screeching sound ruptured her throat--or was it -her- throat? Was it from Sara's mutilated and stretched open mouth? She couldn't tell. It rang in her ears as she backed away, trying to make it disappear...  
  
" Oh my God.." Kenneth was soon beside her, his voice quiet with horror. Patricia didn't care...It was too much. Just too much...  
  
" Trish?!!" Someone was calling her from behind. Patricia turned. It was Lori.  
  
"...Lori...Sara..she's.." She couldn't finish it. It hurt too much.   
  
"..Oh...Trish, I.." Lori faced the gore behind her. Her face twisted in disgust. Patricia stayed facing the wall. She couldn't look again...her head was cloudy, her vision blurred with tears she couldn't feel...It was just too much.   
  
" Trish??" Lori's voice came soft and comforting. Patricia felt herself swoon and falter. " Trish?!" her voice came more urgently now, but farther away. She felt tired, and sluggish...her body hit the floor, and she couldn't bring herself to get herself back up. Lori's voice became further and further away...  
  
" Patricia!! Trish?! Stay awake! Please!...Trish...Trish!!..."  
  
Then, everything was gone.   
  
----  
  
Maggie sat back and wiped her eyes. For the past hour she had been crying at Dr. Campbell's house. Doc was gone. How could he have slipped into sleep so easily? Or more importantly...Who was going to be next? Krueger could go after Tracy...or Lori...Or Patr--  
  
The phone rang. Dr. Campbell had gone out, and only she and Tracy were there. Maggie couldn't make herself move. Tracy answered the phone.  
  
" Hello?" her voice was tight. She had been crying too. " Lori--..what...slow down, slow down--..what happened??..Oh my God...Shit!! H-He's out, I don't know when he'll be back..all right..all right. Get here as soon as you can, and for christ sake, try to get her up!" The receiver slammed down. Maggie looked over.  
  
" Sara...Sara's dead too."   
  
" Oh God..."  
  
" And Patricia's fainted. She won't wake up. They're getting here as soon as possible. I'll call Dr. Campbell and tell him to come home. You go and find that Hypnocil stuff, all right?"  
  
"...How many more people have to die..?" Maggie held her forehead. How many more people did she have to lose?  
  
" Maggie, snap out of it!!..Maggie.." Tracy's voice was gentle. " We can't do anything for them anymore...but we can help ourselves and the others that are still alive. C'mon, Maggie. We have to."   
  
Maggie met her gaze, and nodded defiantly. She was right. They had to stay alive. They had to fight. She stood and ran into the kitchen. While over-turning bottles of medicine, she was suddenly regretting her suspicions in Patricia...she was creepy, yes, but she didn't deserve to die. She just hoped to God they wouldn't be too late.   
  
----  
  
Patricia felt a pillow behind her head. Was she still in the lab?...Was Sara still...? Her eyes snapped open. She was laying on a couch. A faint smell of cigars wafted her way...  
  
DONG.  
  
Patricia jerked her head over to a corner of the room. A grandfather clock tolled the hour. She was sitting in Mr. Krueger's living room.   
  
"Patricia?"   
  
It couldn't be...  
  
She could still see him. A welcoming smile, blackness behind his eyes...Slowly, Patricia turned and looked over the back of the couch.   
  
Nothing.  
  
"..Mr. Krueger?" her own voice was shaky and soft, fearing this dream would shatter.   
  
It had to have been him...Patricia was afraid to breathe. Was this a nightmare? Was he just messing with her mind? Patricia would have given anything to see him one last time...just as she remembered him...She tore her eyes away to look at the rest of the room. It was just as she remembered it. Even her little pink binder laid on the coffee table in front of a picture of his daughter.   
  
Katherine.   
  
Instantly, the contents of the file flooded her mind. Katherine Krueger. Loretta Johnson. He had murdered Loretta, and very possibly Katherine too. She looked at the picture carefully. Sandy hair, red ribbons...No, her hair was down. The sandy color darkened into almost jet black, and became very short. Her features became older, more defined, and took on a rather bitter disposition. Her eyes reflected the same brilliant blue as her father's...  
  
Jesus. Patricia picked up the picture, gaped at it, and breathed a single name...  
  
"..Maggie."   
  
A blade pierced the forehead of the picture, taking Patricia by surprise. The photo was yanked out of her hands.   
  
"..No..no--!" She stumbled off the couch, feeling even more numb than before. The gruesome sight of a man, bleeding from the mouth and a hole blown through the back of his head stared her in the face. Father sat by her, donning a glove of razored fingers, reaching for her with a blood covered hand. He sliced at her once, skimming her throat. Panicking, Patricia ran for it, but eventually found herself pressed against the basement door.   
  
" Queen Trisha, come to daddy.." he spewed blood as he spoke, covering her face in red specks.   
  
" No! I'm dreaming! THIS ISN'T REAL!!" Patricia shut her eyes and flattened her body against the door. Suddenly, it opened, and she plummeted down the stairs and into the darkness.   
  
-----  
  
Dr. Campbell burst through the front door.   
  
" Lori?!"  
  
" In here, daddy!!" Lori yelled from the living room while making a third attempt at waking up Patricia. In a rush to rouse her, they had created a make-shift bed on the floor with a pillow. Patricia thrashed every few seconds, her face twisted in fear. Maggie wiped blood from the fresh wounds that had appeared on her neck.   
  
" We've nearly tried everything." she sighed, wadding the reddened tissue in her hand. Tracy sat on the couch, biting her nails, with a very confused Jacob sitting beside her. Dr. Campbell gripped the back of the couch.   
  
" Did you try smelling salts?"  
  
" Yes.." Maggie muttered, trying to restrain Patricia's violent movements.   
  
" What the hell is going on?" Jacob asked, for what seemed the millionth time. Once again, he was ignored. Tracy racked her brain for some kind of solution.  
  
" We tried alarms, screaming, shaking...what haven't we tried??" They were going to lose Trish just like the others, she knew it.  
  
" I don't know..." Lori thought back. When she was conked out with tranq', how did she wake up? Did Will do something?...Think, Lori, think..Of course!  
  
" Pain!" Lori jumped to her feet and ran to the study. Tracy followed her.   
  
" What the hell are you talking about?"   
  
Lori opened drawers, trying to find a lighter or some matches.   
  
" Pain, Tracy. When I was in a dream, my arm was burned in the real world, and I woke up. If this won't work, nothing will. Find some matches."   
  
With a skeptic sigh, Tracy aided in her search.  
  
" You better be right, Lori."  
  
-----  
  
Patricia awoke to the cool feeling of linoleum against her cheek. She pushed herself into a sitting position and felt something be crushed under her hand. She lifted her palm and found a tiny broken piece of porcelain. She looked around herself and found more pieces. Then, she spotted a handle. Suddenly, things pieced together in her mind...the off-white tile was starting to look awfully familiar...Patricia looked around, terrified at what she'd find. Her fears rang true. She was sitting on the floor of Mother's kitchen...what happened? How did she...get back -here-? Using the counter as an aid, she stood and stared around the kitchen. No...this house was gone. It was rubble. Mother was in Denton, Stephanie was dead, and Father was dead. But she could feel the smooth counter under her hand, and she could feel the porcelain crack under her feet. Her shoes were gone. She looked down and found herself in a simple gray dress. The one Mother made her wear every day after Stephanie died. This wasn't real...it wasn't--  
  
" Patricia?" she froze at the small airy voice from the kitchen stairs. It couldn't be...slowly, she turned and locked eyes with a little girl with golden-blond hair and a white nightgown.   
  
"...Stephanie.."  
  
" You shouldn't be down here, you know. Come upstairs." Stephanie turned and darted up the stairs. Shocked and curious, Patricia could only follow suit. She steadily climbed the stairs, thinking everything through...She was still dreaming. The house was gone, Father was gone, Mr. Krueger--  
  
She stopped short on the stairs.   
  
Oh, God...  
  
Mr. Krueger...She looked down at her feet. Suddenly, the old wooden stairs were gone, and they were replaced with rusted metal steps. The rail under her hand suddenly became cold and grimy. The walls of the stairwell were gone, and she was surrounded by hissing pipes and twisted steel. Her clothes stuck to her legs and body in the humidity. Carefully, she made her way up the stairs to a thin catwalk. The metal dug into the bottoms of her feet as she walked across, watching dark corners and shadows...Where was she now?   
  
SCCCRRRREEEEEEEE.....  
  
Patricia jumped and looked around. That's the third time she'd heard that sound before...  
  
SCREEEEE..  
  
She whirled around again. Metal on metal...like...-knives-.   
  
Step.   
  
Someone was on the catwalk.   
  
Step.  
  
He was behind her.  
  
Step.  
  
Silence. She waited, frozen in place...She knew who it was, only she was afraid to look. Afraid of those blades. Afraid to die. But mostly, she was afraid to see what had become of him...  
  
" --Patricia--."   
  
Her heart stopped. She had to see him. Without another moment's hesitation, she turned and faced him.   
  
...Oh..my God...  
  
Freddy grinned at her dropped jaw, pale face, and wide eyes. Well, look at this. The little tart has grown up. He took a moment to look at her. It was still the same little brat that stood shivering on his doorstep, soaked from the rain. Still frightened of Mommy dearest, and still delicious. After 20 damn-long years, she was finally back. Fuck it. Grown-up, or not, the bitch was still HIS. He took a step forward, and she shrank back. She was afraid. About fuckin' time. He advanced on her until she was at the edge of the stairs. No where to run, little piggy. Teasingly, he scraped his razors along the rail...  
  
SCCRRREEEEEEE....  
  
It was such a horrible sound...Patrica held her ground and resisted the strong urge to sprint down the stairs. There wasn't any point anymore...inevitability was staring her in the face. Fred Krueger. She stared at him, through the burned skin and bloodied flesh. Through his ice cold eyes. She could almost feel herself smiling. It was Mr. Krueger...He really was alive. Knowing she'd never have another chance, she reached out and touched the fabric of his sweater. He was real. He was here. He was...Freddy whapped her hand away and pulled her head back by her hair. Patricia screamed.   
  
" Hello there, little Patricia." he growled and scraped a claw across her cheek, cutting her skin. " It's been too long. How are you? Me? I'm fuckin' dandy."   
  
Patricia tried to push him away, but to no avail. She wanted to cry, but the tears were caught in her throat.   
  
"M-Mr. Krueger...please..."   
  
Freddy raised his glove above her, preparing to strike. Finally, she was one of his children. Too long he'd waited to sink his blades into that yellow-tinted flesh, spilling sweet trusting Patricia's blood...He watched her shiver in his arms, recoiling in fear and pain. Just as he remembered...Patricia's eyes widened in horror, suddenly recalling a long forgotten childhood fear. He laughed cruelly. She stared up at the knives, gleaming in the red light...  
  
" Mr. Krueger...Mr. Krueger, don't!! No!" she clamped her eyes shut and struggled once more. A searing pain occurred on her arm. " Don't punish me! Please!!"   
  
----  
  
" -Patricia-!!"   
  
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up fast, shrieking at the top of her lungs. Maggie restrained Trish again, trying to get her to stop screaming.  
  
" Calm down, it's all right!!" Lori put out the match and calmly stroked Patricia's forehead, trying to make her relax. " It's ok...take a deep breath. You're safe."   
  
Patricia's breathing was ragged and deep. She was awake, and very much alive. She sighed at the familiar faces: Tracy, Lori, Dr. Campbell, even Jacob, Maggie--  
  
Maggie. Patricia sat up further and stared at Maggie, reading her eyes, graphing every trace of familiarity she saw in her dream...It was all true.  
  
" Katherine." she sighed. Maggie gaped at her, and so did Tracy. Lori frowned.  
  
" Why did she call you..?"   
  
Maggie hushed her, and addressed Patricia again. Had he shown her..? Had she already known..? Patricia leaned back, satisfied.   
  
" You -are- Katherine."   
  
"...How do you know that name?"   
  
---------------  
Read & Review please!!   
  



	12. Can't make a believer outta me

  
Chap. 12: Can't make a believer outta me...  
  
" I'm telling you, Tracy, we just can't trust her!"   
  
" Jesus, Maggie, cut her some slack, will ya?!"   
  
Patricia laid in bed, filled with Hypnocil, listening to the angry voices of Maggie and Tracy downstairs. Because the house was dead silent elsewhere, their voices floated up to the second floor, clear as a bell. Every once and a while, Lori or Dr. Campbell would comment, but only once and a while. She frowned. They reminded her of her parents. They were always fighting about her...  
  
" Tracy, how did she find out who I was? Answer me that." Maggie paced in front of the kitchen table again. Tracy stood on the other side, arms crossed, and livid.  
  
" That doesn't mean we can't trust her, Maggie. Her best friend just DIED, and she's been through hell and back in the last fucking hour. Leave her alone.."  
  
" We would have found out anyway." Lori tapped the open file on the table; the one Patricia had found. " This is probably how she found out."   
  
" She's right, Maggie. Besides, why didn't you tell us you were his daughter in the first place?" Dr. Campbell sighed, drinking the last bit of his coffee.   
  
" You didn't need to know. I'm not exactly proud of it, you know..." Maggie couldn't argue anymore. She sat at the table and put her head in her hands. She was wrong to revive her suspicions in Patricia again, but she couldn't help it. There was something about her that she couldn't trust.   
  
" Everyone, just calm down...we can't fall apart this far in the game, all right?" Lori poured herself another cup of coffee. " What's done is done...all that matters now is that we find a way to beat him."   
  
" You guys are all fuckin' nuts." Jacob exclaimed, standing in the doorway. " Can I leave yet?"   
  
Dr, Campbell began.  
  
" Listen, Jeremy--"   
  
" Jacob. It's Jacob, man. Why are you keeping me here?"   
  
" Jacob, look; This is going to be hard to swallow, but since you've come into contact with us, you have to believe."   
  
" Believe what, old man? That 'dream demon' fuck that blondie here was trying to pull over my eyes?"   
  
Tracy bristled.  
  
" Shut the fuck up, man. We don't have to save your ass like this."   
  
" Save my ass from what?!!"   
  
Lori turned to him.  
  
" You said you used to live in Springwood, right?"   
  
" Yeah, so?"  
  
" Didn't you ever hear the story about a man who came to you in your dreams? A bogeyman?"   
  
" I'm not following you."  
  
" Did you ever hear the jump rope song? 'One, Two; Freddy's coming for you'?"  
  
"...Yeah, I remember...yeah, what about it?"  
  
" That man's name is Fred Krueger. He's real, Jake. He's the one that's been causing all these deaths...he's the one that hurt Patricia."  
  
Jacob let all this sink in. Some guy chases you down and murders you in your dreams.  
  
"...Is there a gas leak in here?"  
  
" Jacob, we're serious. For christ's sake, I'm asking you to stay the night with us, or atleast take some Hypnocil home with you. Please."   
  
" I'll take your pills if you just let me get home, huh? Please? It's almost midnight, and I still have to drive."   
  
Lori gave him 4 pills. " Two tonight, two tomorrow morning. Check in with us tomorrow, all right? All right?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, all right...Jesus...You guys need to get some sleep, or something. Maybe then you'll sound sane." Jacob gave the room and fleeting wave, slipped the pills into his pocket, and left. Maggie turned to Dr. Campbell.  
  
" Think he'll take it?"  
  
" Not bloody likely. But he is right about one thing: Lets all get to bed, all right?" Dr. Campbell dished out hypnocil to his motley crew of tired women, and sent them upstairs. Tracy made a stop at Patricia's room before going to her own(Sara's now unoccupied room).   
  
" Trish? You still awake?"  
  
Patricia gazed at the doorway.   
  
" I know I can't dream...but I'm still afraid."   
  
" I know the feeling." Tracy walked over and sat on her bed. " You've gotta get some sleep, though, Trish."  
  
"...I know...I heard you downstairs. Thank you."  
  
"...Hey, don't mention it. I'm sure Maggie really didn't mean any of that...we're all really high strung."  
  
" I know." Patricia stared at the ceiling. "...I was really scared, Tracy...He would have killed me if..." Patricia put her hand over her eyes and sniffed. 4th crying fit within the last hour. Damn. "...Trace, why is he doing this?!"  
  
"...I'm sorry, Trish." Tracy rubbed her arm, trying to give her some sort of comfort. Too much happened too fast. " Try and get some sleep. Okay?"   
  
Patricia nodded, and tried to relax herself. Sleep. He won't come after you tonight. Just sleep. Patricia gave a tiny smile to Tracy. She returned it, and left to her and Maggie's room. Maggie was looking out the window at the water tower. She hated that thing.   
  
" What took you?"   
  
" I stopped to see how Trish was doing."  
  
" Oh."   
  
" She heard you, you know. Downstairs."   
  
Maggie turned.  
  
" She did?"  
  
" Yeah. I told her you were just stressed, and didn't mean any of it." Tracy sat by her on the bed. " You really didn't, did you?"  
  
" I don't know, Trace...I really don't anymore. Lets get some sleep."   
  
-------  
  
Jacob closed the door to his dorm room, threw down his bag, jacket, and flopped onto his bed. It paid to have his roommate sleep like a rock every night. He rolled over and sighed. Jesus. Mom was right about this place. People here are weird. Bogeymen, girls getting cut up in their sleep, people dropping off like flies. Oh, yeah...great town. He suddenly remembered about the Hypnocil. He lifted his head and dug the 4 pills out of his pocket. Just to be safe? Ah, fuck it. They're all nuts. He threw them onto his night stand and laid back. One, Two Freddy's coming for you. He yawned.  
  
Yeah, right.   
  
-------  
  
" NOOOOO!!!"   
  
Freddy withdrew his blades from a screaming teen boy, and sliced his throat open. Fucking kids, and their screaming...all the shits do is scream, and run around like fuckin' idiots. He picked up the body and chucked it over the rail of the catwalk. He felt a rejuvenation as the young soul fed the evil within his body. Number 12. It felt great to be back in business. Still, nothing was sating his blind fury. She got away. AGAIN. He couldn't believe his fucking luck. Her throat was there, and he lost her. Goddamn it all. By now, they've got the bitch doped up on Hypnocil, and she'll never come again. Still, it was refreshing to see such a familiar face...Older? Yes. Different? No. Not by far. If anything, she was an even more delectable piggy than before. The shortness of her breath, the look in her eyes...The feeling of her skin beneath his blades...How the fuck did she get away?! After waiting all this time...A prisoner in the fire and darkness, her name crossed his mind every now and then. With every passing day, his heart had grown colder and crumbled into nothing. Soon, the memory of Patricia sparked nothing but the lust to kill. Finally, his chance had come...  
  
Seeing her for the first time made the emptiness in his chest ache.   
  
He felt something there. Whether it was hate, lust, anything, it was something he didn't want. She hit some kind of nerve that made him remember how it was to live. He utterly -loathed- that feeling. For the first time in 20 years, he almost thought twice about killing someone. Luckily, it hadn't been obvious, but...it was there. Little Patricia Tate. Still damn annoying as ever.   
  
A sudden presence yanked him away from his brooding. A very familiar presence...Freddy smirked and headed to a particular part of the dreamscape; one he knew very well.   
  
Whaddya know. That little shit Jacob's come home to play...  
  
-----  
  
" Do you want to come and play?"   
  
Jacob opened his eyes to find dark brown ones boring into his own. He sat up and stared open mouthed at the figure of a girl in a gray dress and plain black shoes. Her hair was down and hung limply around her face.   
  
" Do you want to come and play?" she repeated again. Jacob swung his legs over the side of the bed, compelled to follow her. What the hell was going on? She ran out of his room. Jacob stood and watching her shadow retreat down the hall. Whose kid was this? And how the fuck did she get into his room? He looked at his sleeping roommate, and slipped out the door.   
  
The dorm hallway was gone. It was replaced with a decayed and broken church. The benches and stained glass windows lied in ruins, part of the ceiling had caved in. Wood and glass shards littered the ground under a hellish moon. The sky was bruised in purple and blue, scars of lightning illuminating the clouds. Wind blew through the church, rattling the doorway he had come through. Jacob groped for the door behind him and forced it to remain open against the winds. How the hell had he gotten here? Where had that little girl gone?   
  
"One, two, Freddy's coming for you..."   
  
Jacob looked up to see 3 little girls playing jump rope in the organ balcony.   
  
"Aw, hell no..."  
  
He backed into his dorm quietly...Something hit the middle of his back.   
  
SCCCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEEE.....  
  
Jacob whirled around to find his room was gone. He was standing on an elevated platform surrounded by hissing pipes, and unstable cat walks. The door behind him slammed shut.   
  
" Shit--!" Jacob tried and tried to pull it back open , but it wouldn't budge. He leaned over the rail and searched for any signs of life. Nothing. He paced for a minute. Okay, just...relax, Jake. Take things one at a time. One: He's not in his dorm. Two: Some really freaky shit was going on. Three:...Was he in a dream or something? No way. There was no damn way that that Maggie character could have been right.   
  
SCRREEEEE...  
  
" Aw, shit..." Jacob looked around. Still, that Maggie did know more about this crap than he did...it wouldn't hurt to have a little company in this freaky place. Jacob suddenly felt something like a string yanking at the top of his brain. His mind was pulling on something...but what? Suddenly, a body crashed down beside him, hard. Jacob stared wide eyed at the figure of a woman in dark blue pajamas.   
  
"...What the fuck?!"   
  
"Patricia?"  
  
Dr. Campbell had gone downstairs to fix himself something to eat, only to find Patricia in the kitchen with a box of tissues, red eyed and somber. She jerked her head in his direction, fresh tears streaming down her face. She grabbed a tissue.   
  
"I know I can sleep, but...I just can't bring myself to close my eyes. I'm sorry if I..."   
  
" It's all right." He sat by her. " I know how you feel. Uh...The coroner told me to call him tomorrow. I know you don't want to hear about it, but...funeral arrangements have to be made for Will and Sara sometime this week. Because you were closest to Sara, I thought you might want to handle things for her; calling her parents, whether or not they want her to be buried back in her home town or not..."  
  
" I will." Patricia nodded and wiped her eyes again. Sara was really gone. There was no reason to stay in Springwood without Sara. What now?...She had to go back to Mother. It was her only home now. Everytime she had some hope...she always had to go back to Mother. Patricia didn't want to go back to nothing. She had lost too much...Sara...Father...Mr. Krueger. Freddy. Patricia sobbed anew. Dr. Campbell put a hand on her shoulder, attempting weak comfort.   
  
" Patricia, I'm sorry this had to happen. When you went under today, I was afraid we would lose you too. We're all relieved you're all right."   
  
" Oh, Dr. Campbell...when I saw him..." Patricia held her forehead, a migraine forming in her temples. She would never forget that sight..." What happened to him?!"   
  
" Don't think about it, Trish. I'm sorry I brought it up."  
  
"...I have to go home."  
  
" What?"  
  
" Mother...I have to go back home to Mother."   
  
" I thought you said she was on vacation?"  
  
"...No...She's not. Sara wanted me to come to Springwood to get away from Mother." Patricia rubbed her temples, trying to release the building pressure.  
  
" Get away from her? Why?"  
  
"...Mother isn't the greatest person to live with." Patricia wasn't going to say anything else. She couldn't. Patricia reached for another tissue. Dr. Campbell caught glimpse of the side of her head. He pulled the hair from to the side and inspected a large S-shaped scar on her temple. Patricia pulled away, covering the mark with her hair again. She rubbed the scar on her palm.   
  
"...Where did you get that, Patricia?"  
  
" I fell down the kitchen stairs when I was younger. It's nothing."   
  
" Patricia, is that really what happened?" Dr. Campbell put a gentle hand on her own, making her stop fidgeting.   
  
"...Mother needs me, Dr. Campbell. I can't...I can't just leave her alone. That's what I told Sara, but she made me come--" Patricia's eyes welled with tears, and Dr. Campbell handed her a tissue.  
  
" Calm down, Trish...it's all right. I won't press the matter, but if you're in any harm...tell me. We'll take care of you." He gave her a smile. Patricia couldn't bring herself to smile back, but she did feel a little better. A little is better than nothing.   
  
"Jacob...what did you -do-?!" Maggie stood, holding her back from the fall. She was in the dreamscape, and goddamnit, she wasn't happy about it. Jacob stood beside her, bewildered.  
  
" I don't...I don't know!! Where the fuck am I?!"   
  
" We're in a dream, dumbass! You dragged me into YOUR dream! How?!"  
  
" Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?! I pulled you into my dreams?!"   
  
" Apparently!" Maggie looked around for any sign of Krueger. Ok, calm down...She remembered taking Hypnocil right after Patricia had gone up to bed. So how was she in Jacob's dream? "How did you do this?"  
  
" I-I don't know. I was...I was thinking about that shit you said, and how you couldn't be right, and...you just kinda appeared or something."   
  
" That doesn't make any sense!!" Maggie paced. They had to wake up. They had to, or Fred---  
  
SCCCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEE.....  
  
"...Oh, my God."  
  
Jacob and Maggie watched in horror as a bed of rusted, mangled spikes came propelling down a catwalk directly toward them, scraping the rails causing electric sparks to fly. Petrified, Jacob stood there like an idiot. Maggie snatched his wrist and ran like hell.   
  
" WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"  
  
" It's a dream, you fucking idiot! We've gone over this!! You've got to find a way to get us out!!" Maggie ran down a flight of stairs and headed for a darkened doorway, hopefully leading out of the boiler room. She turned to see the spikes still coming after them at break-neck speed, closer and closer.   
  
Maggie leapt through the doorway and lost Jacob's hand along the way. She landed hard on her stomach against a metal walkway. She heard the spikes crash into the narrow doorway. Sitting up she was surrounded by stairwells and catwalks. She searched for Jacob.   
  
" Jake? Jake?! Come on, talk to me...Jake?!" Jacob, please..  
  
"MAGGIE?!!" His panicked voice came from above. Maggie looked up. Jacob was leaning over a rail peering down at her.  
  
" How the hell did you get up there?!"  
  
" Fuck if I know, lady!"   
  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"   
  
Chilling laughter echoed off the walls and pipes. Both parties frantically searched the hundreds of catwalks around them. Nothing. Jacob headed for the nearest stairwell.   
  
" Maggie, you stay there I'll..make my way down or something." Jacob stopped at the bottom of the stairs and planned his next route. Maggie nodded and paced her catwalk.   
  
" I don't understand...how could you drag me into your dreams?"   
  
Jacob crossed a catwalk to another flight of stairs.   
  
" I'm as about as lost as you are...literally..." He climbed down a ladder and ran across the catwalk it ended at.   
  
" I was under the influence of hypnocil, and so were you..."  
  
" Uh...right." Jacob leaned over the side, trying to figure out how to get down.   
  
"...You didn't take it did you?!"  
  
" Well, you guys seemed pretty damn nuts from my angle, lady." He crossed a catwalk parallel to Maggie's. The space between them was pretty far. " Claiming death by dream demon is far-fetched you have to admit."  
  
" Yeah, well, you believe us now, don't you?"  
  
" Possibly."  
  
" POSSIBLY?!"  
  
" I could be dreaming right now, you know! This could all be bullshit!"  
  
" Right, well, if you wake-up dead, don't blame me you stupid son-of-a--!"  
  
" -Isn't this sweet.-"   
  
Maggie and Jacob craned their heads above them.  
  
" Jakey and my little Princess together. What a pleasant surprise..." Freddy stood upon the rail of a catwalk, grinning down at them.   
  
" Is this guy for real?!"   
  
" Whassamatta Jake?" A hoarse voice hissed into his ear. Jacob whirled around and met the cruel eyes of their attacker.   
  
"You little shit. You don't recognize me? I'm so hurt!"   
  
He jumped back.   
  
" Who the hell are you, man?!"   
  
Freddy advanced on him, plain arm folded calmly behind his back. He sized him up, inspecting his features. Maggie gripped the rail across from them.   
  
" Leave him alone, you asshole!!"  
  
" Now, now, Katherine. No need to get so impatient!" Freddy stretched out his claws, and her catwalk was yanked roughly over to his. Caught by surprise, Maggie lost her nerve when shoved nose-to-nose with her would-be father. He snatched her by her neck and lifted her feet off the ground. Jacob, frozen in fear, stayed put, not sure of what to do. Maggie gave him a frantic look.   
  
" You've been a bad girl, Katherine. Bad little girls need to be punished..." Freddy cut into her neck.   
  
" NO!!" Maggie struggled against him and the bar. " JACOB HELP ME!!" Fuckin' kid. He's frozen stiff. No way she was going like this...not by HIM. Maggie then realized something. She had invaded his mind before. She had the power. Remember what Doc said. Just concentrate...she doesn't need those glasses. Concentrate.   
  
" Die, you little bi--"  
  
Maggie grabbed Freddy by the forehead and felt herself being plunged into another memory wave as Freddy's screams echoed in her ears.   
  
Patricia walked up the stairs, calmed and ready to sleep. She regretted saying anything about Mother... Things like that don't need to be told. Though, it did feel better to talk to Dr. Campbell. He reminded her of Mr. Krueger...he listened and helped when he could. He was hardly Mr. Krueger, though. No one could take HIS place...never.   
  
She passed Lori's room. Lori had been nice from the beginning. It was such a shame about Will...  
  
She stopped at what used to be Sara's room, that was now occupied by Tracy(who was sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag) and Maggie(who was sleeping in the bed). Tracy was a very nice girl. She defended Patricia...Maggie was too pessimistic for her tastes. She always had this look about her like she had lived too much already. Still, it wasn't fair to pass judgement...Mr. Krueger had tried to kill her too. She recalled the framed picture on the coffee table. The name Katherine seemed so foreign. She wasn't that smiling little girl she had seen so long ago, nor the one she had seen in her dream. She just wasn't the same. Maggie and Katherine were two very separate people...She wondered if that's how Mr. Krueger saw it.   
  
Mr. Krueger.  
  
Patricia knew they had to stop him. Too many people had died already, including Sara. He had to be destroyed...Patricia hugged her arms. He had to die again. For good. How many times had he died already? He wasn't dead yet...he lived on still, killing and heartless. He would kill her too. The very thought of death frightened her. She wanted to be happy. She wanted Mr. Krueger. When Patricia thought about him, she would forget how afraid she was of death, and just smile. After years of mourning, she had found him again. Could she really say good-bye for good...?  
  
Maggie suddenly jerked in bed. Patricia frowned. That's..odd. She walked to Maggie and looked down at her sleeping form. Was she seizuring or something...?  
  
Much like watching a movie, Maggie's physical form remained suspended on the catwalk, but she could see flashes of memories going by before her eyes. Again, she saw him as a child, plucking the feathers from a dead blue jay, a picture of Loretta smiling, then, it changed to the grisly scene of a tiny blonde girl spread-eagled and mutilated on a pink bed-spread. The scene paneled to Freddy facing another little girl with dreary brown hair and a sickly complexion. A claw was hooked ever-so-lightly under her chin.  
  
"Do you know how to keep a secret, Patricia?"   
  
"Yes....I always keep a promise."  
  
Maggie watched in horror as the little girl smiled lovingly at the psychotic murderer before her. Then, she felt herself being dropped, almost tossed away. The connection with Freddy's mind was severed as he threw her onto the metal walkway.   
  
" That's the last time you peek into my mind, you fucking whore..." Freddy stepped over the rail onto her catwalk and advanced. Maggie back away, petrified once again. "DIE, BITCH!!"   
  
"Jacob--! Get us out!"  
  
" What?! How the fuck am I supposed to do that?!"   
  
" Concentrate, Jake! You got us in, and damnit, you can bring us out! WAKE UP!!"  
  
Jacob closed his eyes and concentrated. Wake up, Jake...wake up...  
  
"NOW, JACOB!!"   
  
Jacob felt himself being jolted upward by a cord attached to his skull. Suddenly, he felt himself grounded and warm. Jake shot up out of his bed in a cold sweat. He was awake...he was fuckin' ALIVE!!  
  
"AAHH!!"   
  
Maggie jumped up from her bed and collided with something. An arm draped across her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.   
  
" Maggie?!--What happened?"  
  
Maggie looked up and met the worried eyes of Patricia. The memories she had witnessed in the dream flashed before her eyes. It couldn't have been...setting her priorities, she pushed it into the back of her mind. Tracy stirred from the floor.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"   
  
Maggie turned back to Patricia.   
  
"Trish, go wake up Lori and tell her to call Jacob right now."   
  
" I don't...understand--"  
  
" Just do it, please! I'll explain everything when he gets here."  
  
Patricia nodded and headed to Lori's room. Tracy walked to the bed.  
  
"What's this all about??"  
  
Maggie sighed and picked up the Hypnocil bottle from the bedside table.   
  
"...He's found a way around the drugs."   
  
-------  
Read and Review please!!   
  



	13. Mother Dearest

  
Chap. 13: Mother Dearest  
  
  
"That's impossible!!" Dr. Campbell paced the floor of the living room, confused and annoyed. Four sleepless nights can make anyone impatient. Lori had phoned Jacob, and he was over in 15 minutes. They assembled their group and he and Maggie proceeded to explain the events from that previous eve.  
  
"Look, man, these bruises are real. I can't explain it either..." Jacob rubbed his forehead, grabbing his mug of coffee. "This is fuckin' crazy."  
  
" He can get us through Jacob's dreams?" Patricia's small voice was shakey.  
  
" Apparently, yes." Maggie sighed. " If he's under the influence of Hypnocil, he may not be able to..."  
  
" I'm not taking those crazy drugs of yours, man..." Jacob turned the bottle of Hypnocil over in his hand.  
  
" The hell you're not!" Tracy jabbed his shoulder from behind the couch. "They can save your life, man, and ours!"  
  
" I'm allergic to your dream supressants, dumbass!" He shoved the bottle at her. " I just read the fuckin' label. Half the shit in those pills will make my throat close up." Jacob turned around. Tracy was ready to hit him with the bottle.  
  
" That explains why he brought you here too..." Lori gently took the bottle from Tracy and looked it over.  
  
"I don't get how you can bring others into your dreams..." Maggie chewed the inside of her lip. " I've never seen it before."  
  
" Do you remember doing it as a child..?" Patricia asked, becoming intrigued in this power of his. Jacob shook his head.  
  
"No...but I do have memories of my Mom...I don't know, uh...making dreams for me? It's hard to explain. I'd be having a nightmare, or a really boring dream, and...My mom would just suddenly be there and change my dream into something fantasitc like a car race, or a baseball game, or...spending time with my dad or something. My dad died before I was born...those were my favorite dreams." Jacob reached for his coffee mug again. "That was when we were still living here. After we left, I didn't need to have my Mom there with me. I could change the dream on my own."  
  
"What's your mother's name?" Dr. Campbell asked.  
  
"Alice. Alice Johnson."  
  
" Alice...Johnson. The name rings a bell. Was she a patient at Westin Hills at all?"  
  
"No. She wasn't a nutcase."  
  
"Still, I know that name...Ah! I remember now! Dr. Moore had been treating her when she was pregnant. Of course. I remember her because during an ultra-sound, she became frantic and started claiming that Fred Krueger was after her baby."  
  
" Are you serious?" Jacob blinked. "She never told me about..."  
  
"Has she ever told you anything about Krueger?" Lori frowned.  
  
" No...not really. I remember that dumb jump-rope song, and asking her about it. She told me it was about some guy that killed people before I was born. That's all."  
  
"Jacob, I think it's time you confronted your mother. If she knows about Freddy and your powers, this could be the key in killing him for good."  
  
"...I guess..." He yawned and stretched. The clock read 5am. It was raining outside. "I'm waiting until an earthly hour, though...my mom's never been a morning person."  
  
The room fell silent. After a few minutes, Tracy had fallen asleep in an arm chair, and Lori was racked out on the couch. Patricia crossed to the window with her coffee mug. She watched the rain, reminiscing. She was in Mr. Kruegers home on another rainy day. Hearing Jacob speak so lovingly of his parents made her sad. Mother had never been so gentle, nor worrisome about her. Father never really paid attention. She dreaded going back to Mother. She had been gone for nearly a week...what would she do to her?  
  
Maggie eyed her from across the room, thinking back to what she saw in Krueger's head. Could it have been...? She looked at her. Same dull hair, brown eyes, tinted skin...But, that means that...she was with him? That couldn't be true. She was almost killed. Patricia turned to look at her, gazing at her with tired brown eyes and sickly features.  
  
...Maybe it had been.  
  
----------  
  
" Scruffy! Scruffy, where are you, you little scamp.."  
  
Alice Johnson carted groceries into her one-story home in Columbus Ohio. She closed the front door and headed into the kitchen, searching for the 12 year old family dog. Jake had gotten him for a birthday present so many years back when they still lived in Springwood. Alice hated the idea of Jacob going back, especially after HE showed up again...according to the school admin., the 'problem' had been put under control. She didn't trust them. After two encounters and so many deaths, she knew he could, no, -would- come back. Having Jacob there scared her half to death. Freddy could go after him again...  
  
The phone rang. Alice almost yanked the phone from the wall.  
  
" Jacob?"  
  
"Hey, Ma--"  
  
" Oh, Jacob, sweeite, I was just thinking about you. Why didn't you call me sooner--?"  
  
There was a click on the other end.  
  
"...Jacob?"  
  
"Ma, You're on the speaker phone, so speak loud and clear."  
  
"Jacob..what's this all about?"  
  
"Mom, there are a few people here that need to know about a guy named Fred Krueger. I'm one of 'em."  
  
Alice's breath caught in her chest.  
  
"...Jake, I--"  
  
"Just start at the beginning."  
  
Alice took a deep breath. She knew this day would come sooner or later...  
  
-------  
  
" Wait, wait...so Jake's...some kind of dream-powered guy?" Tracy was pacing the floor. Everyone else had taken a seat in the living room, listening intently.  
  
" Yes, in so many words. He inherited my Dream Master powers--"  
  
" Whoa, whoa--!" Jacob stood and paced himself. " So...you had them first?"  
  
" Yes, that's what I told you before."  
  
" Yeah, I know that; now I've got 'em?"  
  
" Apparently sweetie."  
  
"...WHAT THE HELL?! You never thought to mention this to me before?!"  
  
" Would you have believed me, Jake?" Alice exhailed over the other line. Jeez. That kid...  
  
"...well..No, you're right. I would have called you crazy."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Tell me more about this 'dream master' thing, Alice." Dr. Campbell sighed.  
  
" It was a poem. 'Now I lay me down the sleep, the Master of Dreams my soul will keep' etc."  
  
" I remember that from when I was a kid..." Jacob sighed.  
  
" Is there a way to kill him? REALLY kill him?" Maggie piped up. " You defeated him before, right?"  
  
Alice sighed heavily.  
  
" Yes, I did. Before that, my friend Kristen had, and before that, A young man that lived in that same house, and before him was a woman named Nancy Thomson...He keeps coming back."  
  
" So basically, you're saying we're fucked?" Tracy took a seat and leaned back into the couch, slowly getting pissed off.  
  
" Freddy lives on memories of fear." Lori bit at her nails. " No one remembered him, so Jason killed people in the town to scare 'em into thinking it was Freddy. All the kids that did remember him, or came into contact with him, were put on Hypnocil at Westin Hills."  
  
" We've already come to the conclusion that we can't give the entire town those pills." Dr. Campbell sighed. This was getting them nowhere."We can't make everyone in town forget, either--"  
  
" -He- did." Maggie stood with a thoughtful expression. "Freddy, he erased the memories of the kids at the shelter by altering their dreams."  
  
"How's that supposed to help us? From what Ma tells me, I can't--" Jacob muttered.  
  
" You -can- do that, Jacob." Alice sighed. Everyone turned their attention to the phone. "You have the power."  
  
"...Wait, what? Are you saying that you have that--"  
  
"No, Jake. Remember when I said Krueger was trying to hurt you when I was pregnant with you?"  
  
" Yeah, so...?"  
  
" He was making you like him. He was bistowing his powers on you."  
  
There was silence.  
  
" You could do so much more with your dreams, Jake. You could see other people's dreams, play with them, oh, Jake, he succeeded in giving you those powers, but he failed in making you black-hearted. That's why you're allergic to dream supressants. When he started killing kids off like insects a few years back, I tried pills for you and they nearly killed you. He's the reason why."  
  
"..He can change our dreams?" Patricia breathed.  
  
"Yes. He can."  
  
" Alice, can you please come to Springwood? We could use all the help we can get." Dr. Campbell pleaded.  
  
" No. No, I can't. Jake has all my power now...I'd be helpless against him. I'm sorry.."  
  
There was a sound of a door opening from the other side.  
  
" Alice? Honey?" a distant male voice called, followed by Scruffy barking in the background.  
  
" Your step-father's home, sweetie. I have to go."  
  
"Mom--"  
  
" I love you, Jacob Daniels. Watch out for eachother..."  
  
"...Love you too, mom."  
  
Click.  
  
They sat in a tense silence for a long time. Jacob bit at his nails. So he could control dreams. Freddy had given him these powers when he was in the womb, like a surrogate father-type psycho. It was so weird. He had foggy memories of a stained-glass window shineing with a light he had never seen before. A man grinning at him like a fuckin' cheshire cat. And those blades...He could almost remember. Almost. Jacob stood, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. Lori and Dr. Campbell stood.  
  
" Where are you going?" Lori's voice followed him first. Jacob turned.  
  
" Look, I'm not waiting around here for something fucked to happen, all right? I'm getting breakfast, then I'm going to school. I have something called a life, you know?" Jacob walked out into the rain and closed the door behind him. Lori grabbed her jacket and gave chase.  
  
" Lori, where are you--?" Dr. Campbell and Tracy both followed her.  
  
" Dad, someone has to be around him incase he falls asleep. Besides, I have school too. I might as well get a ride." Lori left. After a few moments, Tracy snatched her jacket from the closet. The three of them piled into Jacob's car and headed to the nearest IHOP.  
  
Dr. Campbell closed the door behind them and walked back to the living room. Patricia and Maggie had been sitting in silence, tense and very tired. After deciding on lunch plans(calling Tracy's cell and going out with them), Maggie left to see if she could find any different dream suppresants in the market, and Dr. Campbell left for his doctor's office for the same reason. Patricia stayed at 1428. Her thoughts wandered to her Mother. She knew eventually she had to go home. Patricia dreaded the treatment she'd recieve the night she returned. She sat alone in the living room for what seemed like hours. It was so different. No soft cream-colored couch, no coffee table, no grandfather clock to toll the hour. The rain still poured the same, though. Lightening still flashed, thunder still shook the ground, and Patricia was still using this house as a sanctuary. Only now, it was colder, more empty, and silent. It lacked so many comforting memories...  
  
"Mr. Krueger...do you remember?" Patricia stared at the scar on her palm. "...Do you want to?"  
  
------  
  
It was 6pm. The rain hadn't stopped all day. Patricia had stayed home from dinner with the group. Somewhere between lunch and early evening, she had lost her appetite. The house was very quiet. Patricia had given herself a full tour of the house, every nook and cranny from the basement to the attic. She had seen his "secret room", 2 small moldy boxes of miraculously unruined pictures in the attic of him and his family(she kept one of him), and a collection of newspaper clippings much like her own. There were two copies of each headline, one with the story cut out, and one with the large-print letters and pictures cut out. She thought he might have made a scrap-book of some kind. Afterwards, she just sat down stairs in the living room, waiting for the others to return. The silence was nearly unbearable. In her mind, she could almost hear those same bell tolls from Mr. Krueger's clock...  
  
The front door flew open.  
  
"Goddamn it, Jake, why can't you just listen for 30 seconds instead of shooting your mouth of?!" Maggie stormed in, shedding her coat quickly. Jacob and the others poured in after her one-by-one.  
  
" Look lady, I'm the one that has to fuckin' do this, not you." Jacob marched into the living room, pissed. Maggie walked in after him. Patricia stared at them both, puzzled.  
  
"..What's going on?"  
  
" Jake's refusing to do the dream-altering bit for Springwood." Tracy stood in the doorway, with Dr. Campbell and Lori, looking bitter. " He's being a selfish prick."  
  
"Hey, shut up blondie!" Jacob pointed an accusing finger at her. " You've got your precious medication to keep you alive, and all I've got are fuckin' -powers- or some shit that probably doesn't exsist! I'm not taking chances."  
  
" He's right." Lori walked into the livingroom. " He's waiting for Jake to fall asleep because he knows he can't take Hypnocil. He'll be a sitting duck since he doesn't know how to control those powers of his."   
  
" Then we're dead, huh? Everyone in this whole fuckin' town is dead, all the adults, all the..all those kids..." Tracy sat down at a complete loss. The room fell silent yet again.  
  
"...If we had some kind of distraction." Maggie spoke. Everyone looked at her. "...If...if someone was some kind of bait to lure him away from Jacob, he could have a chance to atleast try out those powers of his."  
  
"...What're you, fuckin' nuts?! Who's gonna be bait?! They could get killed!!" Jake countered the couch, closing the distance between Maggie and himself.  
  
" It doesn't mean it's not worth a try; we can always wake them up!"  
  
" You're insane, lady. You're obsessed! You're willing to risk someone's life for a chance that I can cause shit to happen in dreams! I don't care if that fucker's your father, that's madness!"  
  
" Shut up!!" Maggie started to lose her cool. " That sick FUCK is not my father! I'm doing this so people can live, not so I can kill 'em!!"  
  
" Everyone, please, lets calm down!" Dr. Campbell stepped in. "We can't start hating eachother!"  
  
"We have to kill him, Jacob. You're the only one that can really help us..."  
  
"...So what if I do it. What about us? He can still kill us."  
  
" Not if you wipe our memories too." Tracy spoke up. " After you're done with all the people that still know who he is, you can wipe ours."   
  
" Our memories? He'd...erase our memories?" Patricia stood, not at all liking the idea. Everyone looked her way. " Everything...about him? The killings, our...friends?"  
" Trish, it's our only choice of survival. We'd have to alter the murders in order to erase memories of him completely." Dr. Campbell sighed.  
  
"..I'd have to forget Sara." Patricia felt as if her world had come crashing down yet again. "...Everything. I'd...I'd have to forget what happened, I...No! No, no no, I can't!" She backed away until she hit the hard glass of a window. A storm was still racing outside. All of her fond memories of Mr. Krueger, the storm that night...everything. Maggie began to approach her.  
  
" Patricia...Patricia, it's all right. This is something we have to do to prevent more death.."  
  
" You don't understand! I've lost everything because of this. I've lost my home, my best friend, I've...I AM NOT LOSING HIM AGAIN!" Patricia was in hysterics, breaking into sobs. Losing Mr. Krueger so many years ago...and now, knowing she'd have to lose him forever. " Too much...it's...just too much... Mr. Krueger was kind to me. He was...all I had left. I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THAT FROM ME!!"  
  
Maggie and Dr. Campbell both went to restrain her incase she lashed out at anyone.  
  
"Patricia, he's not who you remember...he's not the man you thought he was--!" Maggie placed firm hands on her shoulders. Patricia twisted out of her grip and stumbled away.  
  
"No!!.." She hugged her arms, suddenly realizing what she had done. Patricia turned to see the shocked and worried eyes of her newfound company. She didn't belong. She never had. "...I'm sorry..." Patricia composed herself. "I'm going to leave tomorrow morning. Mother needs me back home. I'm sorry." Patricia turned without another word and raced up the stairs. She really didn't want to go home. Maybe they'd let her stay...maybe if she begged.  
  
The doorbell rang. Dr. Campbell answered it. Once on the top floor, Patricia stopped and leaned against the wall, out of sight from the stairwell. Who was at the door this late?  
  
"Hello, Richard. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" A curt voice said from outside.  
  
Patricia's breath caught in her throat.  
  
"..Linda. Uh-, Come in, come in out of the rain. What brings you here?"   
  
" I'm looking for my daughter, Richard. I found your name in the phonebook, and I knew she must have come by here at one point.."  
  
Patricia slid onto the floor into a sitting postion. Mother had found her.  
  
She had come to bring her home.  
  
-----  
  
Finally! Read and review guys. You rock, and thanks for stayin' on with me!  
  



	14. Fundamental Disagreement

Chap. 14: Fundamental Disagreement

"Let me get your coat for you, Linda..." Dr. Campbell led Belinda into the living room, and took her dripping coat.

" We're having company, but you're welcome to join us."

Belinda gave a short, suspicious nod.

Lori headed up the stairs, followed by the rest of their company.

" Who the hell is that?" Jacob asked in a hushed

voice.

" I..really don't know." Lori replied. She turned at the top of the stairs and nearly tripped over Patricia's shaking form on the floor.

"...Trish?" She kneeled, finding Patricia was pale and quivering as if she were sitting in the snow.

Maggie bent down next to her.

"Patricia?" she asked, gently touching her hand.

Patricia merely shook her head.

Downstairs, Dr. Campbell and Belinda had settled in the living room, conversing over mint tea.

"So, how long has she been gone?"

"Left a few days ago, ingrateful thing. I still can't believe she'd leave me like this, after I've been ill for so long."

"Ill?"

"Since her father -killed himself, I guess I've never really been the same. Terrible headaches, back aches, just hurting all over. You'd think that after 27 years of taking care of -her, she'd take the time to care for her -only mother-." Angst laced her words so thickly, it was sickening. " There was a time when she used to listen to me. She doesn't anymore, infact..."

Dr. Campbell had a hard time putting on a good face for her "heart wrenching" story. Patricia wasn't a bad kid; she had left home for a reason. Everything this woman was saying to him had to be bupkes, or his name wasn't Richard Elliot Camp-Suddenly, Belinda's voice faded into the back ground, and Dr. Campbell lost himself in his thoughts. He had called Patricia, a 27 year old woman, completely capable of taking care of herself, a -kid-. Just earlyer he had been telling himself how strange it was that she was living at home at her age...so why the -kid- refrence? He thought about Patricia, and her...personality quirks. She was always so quiet, and timid. Unattanable, recluse, and just...a scared little -kid-. She hadn't changed since he knew her at the age of 15. He couldn't help feeling guilty. Sure, he felt guilty about Lori...but Patricia was different. He remembered her in court that day -he- was on trial.

-"Mr. Krueger's not a bad man. He's not."-

Her tiny eyes full of sincerity, her sweet little face flushed in embarassment, her sugary voice so, pleading, so...so..

It made his stomach lurch. How much control did that sick son-of-a-bitch have over her? How much does he -still?

"..I often wonder what it would be like if my little Stephanie were still alive.."

Stephanie. Her name suddenly brought him back to the present. "You never stopped blaming Patrica for her death, did you?"

Belinda paused. "..What?"

"You never did."

Belinda stared at him hard and long. She put her mug down, and stood. "Where is my daughter?"

Dr. Campbell stood. "I don't know."

"Don't you dare lie to me! I know she's here. Where else would she had gone but back to her SICK PLAYMATE'S HOME!"

Upstairs, everyone was crouched at the top of the stairwell, listening in. Patricia clutched the handrail above her head, waiting for the moment Mother would charge up the stairs and drag her home.

"She's a grown woman, Belinda! You don't have control over her anymore!"

"You can't keep my daughter from me-"

"-She- can keep -herself- from you!"

"I've taken care of that little bitch her WHOLE LIFE!"

"Beating your kid is -really- taking care of her, isn't it!"

"HOW DARE YOU! I won't stand for this!"

"Linda, you can't blame her for Stephanie, and you know it. That -MONSTER- killed her. Patricia was only a little girl..she didn't know any better. And you know what else? It was wrong what you did. It was WRONG. You can't imagine what's happened because of your actions-"

"Don't act so self-righteous, Richard. You wanted him dead, too. You -helped-."

Patricia took a step down the stairs.

"I...I-"

"You carted gasoline! You lit matches! YOU LISTENED TO HIM SCREAM -just like the rest of us!"

"IT WAS A MISTAKE!"

"IT WAS -JUSTICE!"

Patricia was numb. Mr. Krueger. They had burned him alive. THEY had done this horrible deed to him. That's why he was so horrible. That's why he killed. That's this house was so...so empty now.

They killed him.

No.

-MOTHER- killed him.

Patricia stood, and the others stood up as well. Maggie touched her shoulder. "Patricia?"

Patricia's feet acted on their own. She was soon at the bottom of the steps.

"Mother!"

She could feel the other's footsteps behind her, each of them quiet in shock. Belinda and Dr. Campbell emerged from the livingroom. Belinda glared up at her daughter, but before she could open her mouth, Patricia spoke, steady and cold.

" We need to talk, Mother."

Dr. Campbell made an attempt to go to Patrica. She pushed him away. Belinda was furious.

"Don't you use that tone with me-"

"NOW, MOTHER." The volume and tone of Patricia's voice startled everyone. She was trembling from her toes up to her eyelashes, raging. She gave Belinda another cold look, walked through the house, and into the kitchen. Belinda stiffly followed. After a few moments,the group tentatively approached the kitchen. They listened in outside the doorway.

"Mother, you lied to me."

"Patricia, I don't think-"

"You blatently LIED to me! Tell me the truth, mother. Did you kill Mr. Krueger?"

Silence.

"DID YOU!"

"We -had- to, Patricia. Is that so hard to understand? After what he did to all those kids...to your..your -sister? What's one death, HIS DEATH, compared to another generation to live in peace-"

"WAKE UP, MOTHER. People are DYING all around us! It's more than just children now. He's going after EVERYONE. Mother..Sara is dead. She..she was my only..friend. And now, SHE'S dead, and I'm going to have to forget her -and- Mr. Krueger. ALL. BECAUSE. OF. -YOU-."

Belinda slapped Patricia. Hard. A blow hard enough to knock her eyes blue. As a familiar hurt, Patricia didn't cry out. She juse kept her eyes on the smooth, white, kitchen counter as a drip of blood trickled from her nose, waiting for more. Eyes on the counter. Mr. Krueger's counter. Why had she always been so submissive? Did she want Mother's love? Need it? She certainly hurt for it. Still, she was never granted the privilege. Not like Stephanie was. She knew she was always jealous of Mother's adoration and fawning over Stephanie. When she died, it felt...right. Like, Patricia had been justified for that childhood of hell. Was that so wrong? No. Mr. Krueger wasn't wrong. Mother was wrong. Mother was very...very wrong. Her hand wandered to the scar on her temple. The pain was always so vivid when she thought of it. So long she kept that secret from everyone..so long she convinced herself she was doing the right thing..

She took a moment to gather herself before facing Belinda again. She watched Belinda looking at her in the light, and remembered all the things she and Mr. Krueger talked about, and the things Dr. Campbell and Sara told her. Mother was sick. She was crazy. She had NO Goddamned right to do this to her. No right at all.

"...Mr. Krueger was the only person that took care of me..a-and he was right about you."

"I should have let that son-of-a-bitch keep you. You little whore."

"You don't scare me anymore, Mother." Patricia took a breath. "I'm not going home with you."

"What did you say to me?"

" I said...I-I'm not going home with you."

"You can't make decisions like that-"

"YES, I CAN, MOTHER." Patricia was shaking. "..I'm. Not. Going. Back." She crossed her arms and sneered most uncharacteristically at her mother.

"Deal with it, bitch."

Belinda's mouth went lax, as did her arms. Patricia kept her arms crossed, quaking with shock at her own words. Outside the kitchen, the others listened closely, both suprised, and refreshed by Patricia's newfound defiance.

Suddenly, Belinda shot from the other side of the kitchen and had her bony-yellow fingers wrapped tightly around Patricia's throat. Patricia tried to scream and fight her off, but Belinda just tightened her hold. The others were soon in the kitchen, trying to pull the frantic woman of their friend.

"I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

Belinda was in hysterics, trying desperately to end the life of her only daughter. Patricia clawed at her face with her bitten-down nails, losing more air every second.

"Linda! STOP!" Dr. Campbell was pulling on her torso. Maggie was helping him. Lori and Tracy were pulling her arms.

"GET OFF HER, YOU CRAZY BITCH!"

Finally, Tracy was able to pull one of Belinda's arms from Patricia's neck, struggling as Belinda jerked her arm wildly in her grasp. Patricia gasped for air, the breath still caught in her mouth. She looked around the counter for something to strike her with. Belinda's grip got tighter.

"Please, don't do this!"

She had to find something.

"Belinda, you can't kill her!"

Anything...

"STOP IT! STOP!"

Patricia could feel Belinda's fingers clentching her windpipe like a vice. She could't breath at all now, and her eyes started to close from the pressure..too much..pressure..

The knives 

What was that?

KNIVES 

Knives. Knives? What did that mean? Patricia opened her eyes, and a glimmer caught her gaze. During their stuggle, they had knocked over Dr. Campbell's block of serrated kitchen knives. Patricia outstretched her hand and her finger-tips brushed the handle of one..

"Why did he take my Stephanie!" Belinda hissed at her.

Patricia tried to reach further. Just a little more...

"WHY DIDN'T HE JUST KILL YOU!"

Patricia took the handle into her palm, and in one deft move, plunged it into Belinda's stomach. Belinda's bloodshot eyes stared down at her, nearly bulging out of their sockets. Patricia raised her head and whispered into Belinda's ear.

"..I think he loved me. That's why." She withdrew it, and drove it into her again. "Goodbye, Mother."

The others backed away as Belinda's weary frame crumpled to the now red-spattered tiles. They looked from the body to Patricia, her hands covered in her mother's blood, shaking like mad. The knife was still in her hand. Patricia stared down at Belinda's cold face, and it suddenly hit her.

Mother was dead. She killed her. SHE HAD KILLED HER.

"...Oh..GOD." Patricia faultered and dropped the knife. She was going to be sick. Tracy took a step towards her.

"Trish..Trish, it's okay." She reached her hand towards her. "Patricia..come on..it's okay.."

"Okay..?..OKAY! HOW THE -FUCK- IS THIS OKAY!" Patricia was soon a sobbing mess, inching away from her company. "I just...I really..Oh GOD..OH GOD! Mother...I'm sorry..OH MY GOD.."

"Patricia, please! It was self-defence, she was trying to kill you!" Dr. Campbell went for her. He took her by the arms, and Patricia thrashed, eyes locked on the body in a quickly-spreading pool of blood.

"Stop it, don't! I just killed her! I KILLED HER!"

Maggie went to help Dr. Campbell restrain her. "Patricia. Patricia, look at me! She was trying to strangle you! You didn't have a choice!"

Patricia's gaze never left her mother's face as she slid to the floor in crying. Dr. Campbell sat next to her, muttering calming words, trying to get her to relax. Maggie kneeled to the other side of her, clutching her hand, staring at Belinda. Lori left and called the police. Jacob and Tracy just stood there, dumbfounded.

In a sea of perpetual darkness, beyond the reach of any conscious mind, a pair of cold blue eyes watched the mutiny of little Patricia Tate.

A low chuckle rumbled through the intangible.

"Nice goin', dollface."

-

I LIVE! I want to thank EVERYONE that still reads! I love you all SO FUCKING MUCH, and I will have the next installment out sooner, I PROMISE.

RR as always, I EAT FLAMES FOR ALL MEALS.

LOVE!


	15. Four, Five Still Alive

Chap. 15: Four, Five; Still Alive

"Lori? Lori!"

Lori's head snapped away from her classroom window. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked you 'What is the scientific definition of Maturation?' C'mon, Campbell, we just went over this."

"Oh, uhm...the development during which a cell becomes maturethat is, uhm, the process..." She searched her notes, "..the chromosomes of the immature germ cell are..ah, are decreased by...one-half. Sorry."

"That's right. These definitions stress different aspects of the maturational process..."

Lori's professor once again faded into the background of her Childhood Psychology classroom. A week since the funerals, no sleep, and way behind in her work, she wasn't exactly up for class. Her mind kept returning to the cemetaries where Will, Sara, Doc, and Mrs. Tate lay to rest.

_"Ye, As I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil, as You art with me..."_

_Patrica stood by in a long coat, black dress, and plain shoes, watching her mother being lowered into the dirt beside her father. Dr. Campbell and Maggie stood at her sides, the former with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, the latter holding her hand. Behind them were Lori, Tracy, and Jacob. They were the only mourners. Patricia broke away from her company and aproached Belinda Tate's coffin, now deep in the earth. Patricia peered down into the hole, the cherry-wood, flower decorated casket staring her accusingly in the face. With the testimonies of the 5 behind her, she hadn't been charged with murder. It was self-defense, just as Dr. Campbell had told her._

_Patricia rolled the white rose in her fingers anxiously. What now? She had wondered that often. What now? Now that Sara's dead, Mother's dead, Father's dead...she had nowhere to go. No one to turn to. For 27 years, she had never really taken care of herself, and she didn't know where to start. She had never felt so alone..She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Maggie, of all people, giving her a reasurring smile. Patricia read her eyes, and it wasn't just a "I'm sorry you murdered your mom" smile. It was an understanding. Up until this point, Maggie had been so stand-offish, so paranoid of Patricia, she had gone as far to accuse her of being in league with Freddy. But after the incident...Patricia was just this lost little girl. A girl now very, very alone in the world with nothing but her memories of a man she thought cared so much for her. She needed Maggie, and the others, now, desperately. Patricia lifted her hand and placed it on Maggie's in thanks, as hot tears soaked her cheeks. Dr. Campbell stepped to her other side, and soon, the rest of their company were at the open mouth of the grave._

_They were all in this together, and they had to take care of eachother._

_Patricia took a deep breath, and Maggie's arm went across her shoulders. She looked down at her mother's covered corpse, lifted the rose, and let it plummet down into the darkness._

_"Goodbye, Mother." _

Will and Mrs. Tate were burried in Springwood. Maggie and Tracy accompanied Doc back to his hometown. Sara was cremated(at the request of her parents) and taken back to Denton for burial there. Patricia did not leave to attend it. Lori looked around at her fellow students and friends. The room was so...

Empty.

Out of a class of 48, 17 students were gone. Nearly half, all dead at the hands of a psychotic dead child murderer, one of whom this city has spent their lives trying to "contain". Great job right there. Kids were still dying, parents were still denying his exsistence, fear, paranoia, and that red-and-green son-of-a-bitch was laughing about it. Freddy Krueger wasn't a murder statistic, a fairy tale, or a jump-rope song anymore...He was like this omipresent God of hate, death, and fear, terrorizing the innocents of Springwood.

_Tell me the truth, mother. Did you kill Mr. Krueger? _

Well, mostly the innocents, anyway. They keep getting rid of him, but he keeps comming back like some kind of deranged little cockroach. Lori was seriously starting to doubt their most recent plan. Freddy had Springwood, Ohio clenched in his cold, steel claws, and he was -not- letting go.

"Miranda!" The room surged into a panic. Lori, again, tore her gaze from the window and found the class crowded around a desk in the middle of the room.

"Is she having a seizure!"

"Call 911!"

Lori stood and pushed her way through the students. Miranda, a pale red-headed girl, was spasming wildly in her desk, her face twisted in pain and and terror.

"Wake her up. Wake her UP!" Lori tried to shake the girl, but her professor held her back.

"Don't! You could hurt her, she could hurt you!"

Miranda shrieked. Lori tried to fight her way back.

"No! You don't understand, he's going to kill her!" Didn't they get it! He was taking somebody right under their noses! "WAKE her UP!"

"Campbell, calm down!"

"Goddamn it! Let go! She's going to DIE! WAKE HER UP!"

Miranda spasmed hard, her arms striking the air. A sickening crack occured in her chest, and her ribcage -burst-, sending gore flying all over the desk, students, and Lori. They all stared at the gaping cavity in Miranda's breast, horrified as her body slumped backward in the chair.

Lori watched the blood seep from the corpse and drip-drip-drip onto the light-blue linoleum floor. A few students just gaped with her. Some turned away to retch dryly onto the soiled floor. Some of the girls cried. Friends of Miranda's probably. The professor left to call the police. Lori just stared, completely blank, pieces of bone and bloody flesh hanging on her person. She did not have any tears ro spare for the pale red-head. Not anymore. All she could think about was the murderer. He wasn't being "careful" anymore. He knew they couldn't really fight back. They were all going to die, and he knew it.

Lori stared at the wide, bleeding, torn heart in Miranda's chest. She couldn't take her eyes from that place, and she realized something.

She knew it, too.

> > > > > > > >

"Goddamn it, Jake, I said to fucking concentrate!"

Maggie laid on her back, head and feet propped up on the arms of a short couch, one that resided in her livingroom back home. Tracy sat nearby, picking her nails, but still keeping a sharp ear for any unwelcome sounds from the dreamscape.

Jacob stood off to the side, drumming his fingertips on his forehead.

"We've been at this all fucking NIGHT, Maggie. I'm bushed! So what if I can't alter surroundings by TONIGHT! It's only been a goddamn WEEK since we STARTED!"

Maggie stood and walked to him.

"Need I remind you how many people DIE a night! By the end of the month, HALF THE FUCKING TOWN IS GOING TO BE 6 FEET UNDER!"

"She's right, jackass." Tracy stood and crossed her arms. "You don't think we're tired too?"

"Try it again, Jake. -Jake-. JAKE!"

"Get out of my goddamn face, Maggie." Jacob turned away, and walked to another side of the room. "I could just walk away, RIGHT NOW. Look, I have school y'know. I have a fucking LIFE. I have fucking REHERSAL tomorrow, and I can't do my fucking job if I look like I haven't gotten any fucking sleep. I'm making my little dream-barrior thingy or whatever, and you guys just stay the fuck away from me for a few hours! Peachy!"

Before the two could answer, Jacob thrust them out of his dreamscape and into the waking world. Maggie sat up in her bed and rubbed her temples. "Fucking kid.."

Tracy groaned beside her, on a small cot. "Tell me about it." She reached for the bottle of Hypnocil on the nightstand. "I guess we're just going to have to stop for tonight.." She poured herself a couple pills, and handed the bottle to Maggie.

"Y'think?" She sighed and poured two pills herself. "Do you think I'm pushing him too hard?"

"Mag, he -has- to know how to do this while we're all still alive. The only shit he knows how to do right now are moving stuff, and how to protect his dreams. Mag, -I- can do that! -You- can do that! He's gotta learn!" She swallowed the two pills, dry.

"...I guess you're right." Maggie swallowed her own. "Night, Trace..get some sleep."

"You too, Mag."

The two retreated under the covers of their beds and stared up at the ceiling. Tracy was soon asleep. Maggie turned her gaze out the window and spotted the white water tower. She hated that damn thing. The memories of her "father's" mind were still so fresh, so vivid...The hate she held for the man was often subsided by pity. She wondered what it was like to be the way he was...eternal, dead, scarred, driven on rage, and utterly alone. Forever.

A small thudding occured over her head. She turned her eyes upward. Patricia was in the attic again. Since the funerals, Patricia and Maggie had become slightly closer. Not so much that they deeply confided in one another, but enough to have a pleasant conversation or two. Maggie had stuck by her side through the burial of her mother, and continued to do so afterward. Patricia was thankful to have a female companion to lean on. She listened to her soft footfalls echo across the ceiling. Maggie was considering letting her come stay with her after all of this was over. At the will reading, Belinda Tate had left her house and all her posessions to the bank. Patricia inherited her own belongings, and next to nothing in money affairs. She virtually had -nothing-, and had nowhere to go. Perhaps Dr. Campbell had also thought about where the woman would stay? She'd talk to him about it tomorrow. The sounds stopped above her head. Patricia must have found something. Again, since the funerals, Patricia had become quite the insomniac. She took the Hypnocil, but she was slowly becomming more and more restless. On most nights, she'd stay in her room and gaze numbly out the window. Sometimes, she'd venture into the attic for clues to Freddy's past. Maggie learned this when she found Patricia in the attic, pouring over a box of framed pictures and books.

_"Trish?"_

_Patricia jumped about a mile, but relaxed a little when she saw Maggie standing on the ladder to the attic. It was pretty late._

_"...I didn't think anyone else was up. I'm..sorry if I woke you, Maggie."_

_"No, it's fine." She climbed up the ladder, and crossed to Patricia. "What are you doing?" She looked over her shoulder at the picture in her hand. Fred Krueger grinned at her, Loretta laughing in his arms._

_"I figure...If I have to forget him eventually, why not learn what I can about him now?" She looked up at Maggie. "I know you think I'm nuts, especially after everything he's done...and I know how many people he's killed...but..he was all I had back then, and I almost feel like the memory is all I have now."_

_Maggie looked at her, then down at the picture. "...He's not who you remember, Patricia."_

_"Oh, I know. I guess I should hate him after everything he's done...but part of me..just can't." She had a tiny scowl on her face, a little ashamed of the fact. Maggie sat on the floor by her and took the picture. Her parents, live and happy, captured forever in this fading photograph._

_"...Part of me can't either."_

_> > > > > > > > >  
_

A little short? Yeeeaaah. But the next one is longer!

R&R as always, I neeeeed to know that you guys still read!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

I eat flames for all meals. Yummeh.


	16. Six, Seven, All Good Girls go to Heaven

Chap. 16: Six, Seven; All Good Girls go to Heaven. 

The dull sound of thick paper hitting a hard surface echoed across a steril gray office. Meaty fingers drummed the desk on which the files lay, the creaking of his wooden chair filling the small space.

"19 deaths. All "unknown" causes. 19, in the past -month-." Officer Dunst reached for his coffee cup. " 48 in the past 2 months. This is getting out of hand again..."

"Sir," a soft-spoken skinny Officer Fields shifted from one foot to the other before the other man's desk. "Maybe we should just let it die out again? We can't very well put everyone's kids on Hypnocil..."

"And why not! We can slip it into the school lunches, the vending matchines, the -water supply-...it's only too simple."

"Sir, that's...illegal."

"And that means what to me, Fields. This..._thing _has to be stopped, before we lose all our children. And I'm willing to do what's necessary. Are you, Fields? Or must I remind you what happened the LAST time we just 'let it die out'."

"...No, sir..."

"In the meantime, we have to deal with the growing panic. Alotta folks are saying HIS name out there...if we don't got something concrete to blame this on, all hell's gonna break loose. " Dunst slurrruped his coffee, pushing crimianl records aside.

"You...mean frame someone?" Fields asked, peering at the files.

"Half these poor bastards don't have anything going for them anyway..."

"But...how...are you going to tie them to it, sir? None of _them_ have anything to do with the victims. And the other suspects in relation to the victims all have alibis."

"I'll think've somethin'...plant evidence...or..someth.." Dundst trailed off, lifting file and peering at it. "How'd _he_ get a record?"

"Uhm, he supposedly murdered his wife some odd years ago, sir, but it was..you-know-who..and he and his daughter have been on the scene for a couple of the murders, including a girl that had been staying with them."

"Oh, right, right...I remember now..." He studied the photograph a moment. "...How much of a credit is he to the 'cause'?"

"Well, he signed off most of the kids at Westin for Hypnocil treatment, but since the hospital's gotten overly crowded...there isn't much he can do."

"...Well...isn't that a shitter." He threw the file down on the desk towards Fields. "Keep an eye on him. If he's...present at another incident...bring him in."

Fields hesitantly picked up the file and glanced over the information, the name, and the middle-aged man in the picture. He looked tired. And innocent.  
"..Yes, sir." He tucked it under an arm and left.

----------------------------

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..."

Tracy's voice echoed through the nearly vacant house. Beside her sat Lori, watching the news, idly chewing green-tinted bubblegum. Patricia sat across from them, reading a newspaper clip. Maggie and Dr. Campbell were at Westin for the day, negotiating Hypnocil treatments outside the hospital. After weeks of running around, recording deaths to find a pattern in Freddy's slaughter, bombarding Jacob's mother with questions every other weekend, and attending funeral after funeral for once-friends and acquaintances, things had calmed a bit. A lull, if you will. A momentary feeling of peace...

For about 3 days.

"No body knows my sorrow..."

"Tracy if you don't shut up, I swear to God." Lori mumbled, turning up the television.

"Nobody knows but Jesus!" Tracy added, putting some soul into it.

"-Tracy-."

"Noobody KNOOOOOWS...the TROUBLE AH SEEEEEEN..." Tracy swooned, leaning into Lori's shoulder.

"And..nobody cares." Patricia ventured, soft as anything, laughing a little. Lori laughed despite herself, and Tracy grinned. It was the first silly happy moment they'd all had in a long, long, long time.

The three had gotten considerably closer after everything. Patricia found it easier to talk to the younger women than the stern, dark-eyed Maggie Burroughs. They were slightly more sympathetic about her relentless studying of the cause of all their grief. Maybe it was because Patricia wasn't exactly "grown-up" yet herself. Or maybe because the two of them reminded her so much of Sara. Either way...she was thankful to have them.

"See? Made ya smile."

"God, you're a goofball..." Lori turned off the television, not able to stomach it anymore.

" Hey. someone's gotta 'don't worry, be happy' around this place...Hey, isn't Jacob's thing tonight?"

"Yeah, dad got tickets for tonight..."

"...Whatcha guys gonna wear?" Lori looked over at Patricia and she looked back at her. They both eyed their current clothing, then looked back up at Tracy.

"...You're kidding."

"..I don't..." Patricia shrugged. What you see is what you get. 

"It's just a school play, Tracy." Lori popped a small bubble.

" God. And I'm the freakin' tomboy 'round here." She stood. "All right, ladies, saddle up." They stared at her. "...C'mon, get up off your asses, lets go, lets go, lets GO!" Tracy grabbed Patricia by the wrist and pulled her gently to her feet.

"Wh-where are we going...?" Tracy flashed her a grin, pulling Lori up as well.

"Shoppin'."

"Trace, I...I can't, I don't want to--" Lori tried to sit back down.

"Oh, come on, Lori. I bet Jacob would love to see you all dressed up for him." Tracy pulled her back up again.

"I don't care what he thinks...I know -you- do." Lori retorted, blushing.

"Do NOT. And you're a terrible liar. C'mon, lets go, move it." Tracy snatched her wallet from the couch and headed towards the front of the house. Lori went to follow her but Patricia hesitated.

"...I can't."

The two women turned to her.

"...I don't...exactly have money right now...I'm sure I can find something of my own. You go ahead." Patricia sat back down, gingerly folding the newspaper article in her lap. Lori and Tracy exchanged glances.

"...We can get you something, Trish." Lori said, walking back to her. Patricia shook her head.

"No...no, Lori."

"Why not? You're like family to us now."

"I don't need it, Lori..."

"Oh, come on, Trish." Tracy walked to them. "Every girl needs a pretty something. We'll help you pick out a beautiful dress."

"Yeah, it'll be fun!"

Patricia gazed at the floor. It was a lovely gesture. It really was. But they had already put up with her, her mother, taken her into their home, fed her, kept her, everything. She didn't need this...

"...Patricia?" Lori's voice pulled her back to them. She turned her eyes upward.

"You don't give yourself pretty things...let us get something for you." Lori and Tracy pulled her to her feet. Patricia gave them the slightest smile.

"C'mon. The mall awaits!" Tracy draped her arms around their shoulders, and the three of them started their quest for evening wear.

--------------------------------

"Hello, how are you? Lets see...you're in row B, seats 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Here's your programs." Dr. Campbell smiled to the cheery usher, and took the programs.

"Thank you." He passed them back to his party and proceeded to row B of Springwood County Community College's large theatre.

Following behind him was Maggie, in a simple stylish suit, black with pinstripes, and a red collared shirt. Behind her was Tracy, in a suit as well, gray, with a deep blue shirt. Lori was next, in a nice green ensemble with sequins, setting off her pretty red hair. Last came Patrica. It was difficult finding something for her spidery figure, long hair, and sickly skin. Red stood out too much, green made her look yellow, too short in the waist made her seem stumpy, too long in the torso made her look 6 feet taller than she was...finally, the settled on the default. Black. Luckily, just as Patricia was ready to throw in the towel, they found her this dress. It was ankle-length with slits up the sides to just above her knees, and sleeves made of a sheer fabric that billowed about her arms. It had beautiful indigo embroidery on it, fashioned to look like spindles of ivy crawling up her form. With her nicer pair of plain black shoes and a new pair of hose, she looked elegant. But she felt awkward. Looking at herself in the mirror wearing this dress, her hair up and out of her face (not without hiding the scar on her temple), her arms with the illusion of being bare, the hint of her leg showing from the slits...it was alien. Walking in, she caught married fathers glancing at the form-fitting outfit. Younger men leering out of the corner of their eyes at her exposed legs. Even Dr. Campbell had done a double-take as she descended the stairs in his home. It was downright uncomfortable. Not once in her life had anyone ever looked at her that way. She wasn't attractive. She wasn't beautiful. Patricia Tate and the word "sex" didn't fit. 27, virginal, and a -very- private person, she just...never saw it in her life. Not once. And yet, here she was, receiving glances she thought would never be for her, feeling things she's never felt...

_Maybe it's true. _She thought to herself. _Life can begin at 30..._

"So, what's Jacob in this thing again?" Tracy leaned into the aisle at Dr. Campbell.

"Says here he's...Lee Harvy Oswald, the man that supposedly assasinated JFK, and the balladeer."

"God, this play is so twisted..." Lori muttered, reading the information in the back of her program. This was -not- a show to put on after everything's that'a happened. "And it's a musical, for crying out loud."

" 'Assasins'. " Tracy hissed dramatically. "By Stephen Sondheim. How long is this thing?"

Just then the light started to dim. The party of 5 settled into their seats to watch.

-----------------------

The collective voices of the cast floated up to the catwalks, where a stage hand sat, ready to fly in an American flag for the beginning of "How I saved Roosevelt". Jamie yawned and leaned against the metal bars, still shaking off the joint he'd had not 5 minutes before the curtain went up. He closed his eyes and opened them again...and closed and opened them...he had to stay awake, the cue was going to sneak up on him, and if his stage manager Leslie found out he'd been getting high before the show again, she'd pwn his ass like no other. Hah. He thought 'pwn'. His eyes felt sooo heavy...there was movement on the catwalk. His eyes shot open again, to see...

A cat.

"Well, hey, little buddy..." he reached out as the cat came closer and stroked it's back. "Hehe, cat, catwalk..." It was the funniest thing in the world to him right then. Even funnier than it's bright blue eyes, or red and green fur.

"Y'shouldn't be up here, y'know. But it -is- a catwalk..." he laughed, as the cat backed away from him and sat up straight. "You guys should be working the rigs..." he laughed harder, and the fact the feline's claws and teeth were getting longer and longer by the second was making it even funnier.

"'Cause it's a catwalk!" the claws shined, almost looked like knives.

"Catwalk!" The cat leaned back, ready to pounce.

"GET IT?" The last thing he saw was a set of razor-sharp jaws engulfing his face.

----------------------

On stage, John Hinckley, the kid that tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan, plucked his guitar strings, making a gentle melody, staring at the object of his desire, Jodie Foster. Lynette Squeaky Fromme, who tried to assassinate Gerald Ford, wandered behind him, obsessing over the picture of her one true love, Charles Manson.

"**I am...nothing. You are..wind and water and sky. **  
**Jodie. **  
**Tell me, Jodie, how I can earn your love. **  
**I would swim oceans, I would climb mountains, **  
**I would do anything for you! What do you want me to do?**" Hinckley sang.

In the audience, the group of five were unduly creeped out by the twists and turns of the show. The point of it was to expose the "truth" of the American dream, and just how sick our country is with delusions of grandeur. Well, no one likes to know the truth about themselves. Patricia shifted a little, the words of Squeaky's obsessive monologue echoing in her mind, the part about newspaper and magazine articles especially. She was starting to question the healthiness her little "hobby", and if she should continue. Would she really end up SO obsessed with him, that she'd do something crazy like try to assassinate a president to get the world to understand him?

_--Well, you killed your mother.--_

That was self-defence.

_--Was it? REALLY?--_

It had nothing to -do- with him.

"**I am unworthy of your love.**  
**Jodie, Jodie.**  
**Let me be worthy of your love.**  
**I'll find a way to earn your love, set me free!**  
**How can I turn your love to me?**"

------------

A girl stagehand sat in the downstage right wing, ready to hit the fog matchine when the cue was up. This wasn't her reglar cue, and she almost had no idea how to work the damn thing. Going over her next cues in her head, she failed to notice the body comming up behind her. A creak in the floor made her jump and turn around.

"Wha--!" she sighed. "Jamie! Where the hell have you been, and where the hell were you for cue 28? The flag never came down, and Leslie's having a shitfit. Were you smoking crap again?"

Jamie just stared at her listlessly.

"Hello? Are you even in there? God." She got up, pushed the fog solution into his hands, and shoved past him. "Do your fucking job, Jamie."

Jamie watched her walk off into the darkness, a wicked smirk dancing on his lips. He sat at the matchine, opened the small compartment and poured in the fog solution. Then he took a second bottle from his pocket, and poured it in as well. Then sat back, drumming the fingers of his right hand on his leg, waiting for the cue to be called.

------------

On stage, a woman danced out from the wings, dressed as Jodie Foster and did a small ballet. Fog billowed from off stage, and flowed mostly into the audience, simulating a dream sequence."

"**I am...nothing. You are wind, and devil and God.**  
**Charlie.**  
**Take my blood and my body for your love!**  
**Let me feel fire, let me drink poison, **  
**tell me to tear my heart in two!**  
**If that's what you want me to do.**"

A man dressed as Charles Manson walked on stage, and over to Jodie. Patricia stifled a yawn. How could she be feeling tired? She felt so bad, Jacob's assassin role hadn't even shown up yet. This is what she gets for staying up in the wee hours of the morning. The figures of Charlie and Jodie dancing were getting blurry. She blinked a few times to get herself to wake back up.

"**I am unworthy of your love.**  
**Charlie, darlin'.**"

-_Patricia...-  
_  
"**I have done nothing for your love.**"

-_Mr. Krueger?_-

Patricia was almost gone. Everything was so smokey, and it was almost hard to breathe.

"**Let me prove worthy of your love, set me free!**" The voices echoed so far away. Hinckley joined in, but it was so so distant...

"**--I would come take you from your life!**  
**--I would come take you from your cell!**  
**--I would make you queen to me, not wife!**  
**--I would...crawl..belly deep through...**"

--**_HELL..._**--

It was dark. Patricia wasn't sure where she was, but cold, very, very cold. It was old, decrepid, decayed. Leaves shattered under her shoes. Hard concrete and broken windows met her gaze. A tall tall ceiling hung above her head, covered in silent metal pipes. There were walls all around. She kept turning corners, meeting rusted metal or dingy brick walls. She was stuck in a very grim maze, the walls tall, the halls wide, and every so often...she'd come across a steaming metal door...

A pair of cold eyes watched the small woman wander; lost in the place he came to call home.

Where was he going to let her end up?

-------------

I LIVE! Thanks for the reviews, you WONDERFUL LOVELY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, GOD YOU ROCK, YEAH WHOOHOOO!

I've been going through crap, y'know, yadda yadda, excuse excuse. I WILL HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT VERY SOON. I'll keep my promise this time. This is going to be a long fic, atleast 20 chapters, maybe 25.

PLEASE REVIEW STILL! ;--; I love you all. I eat flames for breaky. Aaaalsooo, I'd like to know what you guys think should happen in the end. LOVE!


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